As a leading maritime nation, it’s little surprise that the UK is often first choice for international shipping firms and maritime sector specialists looking to take advantage of the country’s extensive maritime offerings.
From regional clusters to tonnage tax, workforce training to maritime legal services, the UK offers one of the most competitive maritime environments for business.
To assist those looking to invest, the UK Shipping Concierge (UKSC) is here for shipping and maritime business exploring opportunities in the UK.
As well as promoting UK maritime at events across the world and in the UK, the UKSC team liaises with key partners and maritime stakeholders, while providing invaluable market data and insights, to ensure that the UK remains a world-leader for global shipping and maritime investment.
Operations Manager Neil Peacey says: “The UK Shipping Concierge is integrated with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency – it’s a vital link between UK industry, government and business.
“It’s not just ship owners and operators that we work with. We have strong links in areas of insurance, finance, and professional services too. It’s about the entire UK maritime offer, which includes unique aspects like Freeports. These are special areas created by government to boost investment and employment and drive forward Net Zero ambitions.
And it’s a growing team, as UKSC expands its influence, skills and expertise, with data insight and stakeholder engagement being integral to the team’s work with global shipping companies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) alike.
“Our systems allow us to analyse market trends and finance data, providing valuable insights into competitor offerings and global market dynamics,” says Neil.
“But at UKSC, we’re also agile all-rounders in several areas, as our remit is broad. There’s a strong stakeholder liaison aspect to our work and we’re often liaising with or bringing together several parties across a multitude of maritime disciplines and areas.”
Being at the forefront of UK maritime means the team needs to keep a watching brief on the constantly evolving marketplace and sector, where pioneering new innovations and ideas appear first.
“From cadet training to tonnage tax, we’ve been able to provide strategic insight, together with feedback from our stakeholders. We maintain a Customer Relationship Management system, which helps us to understand our audiences and map our connections. In addition, we also manage our website that provides information to stakeholders about the UK maritime offer.”
A busy events calendar continues for the team, based in Southampton, which includes engagements at Singapore Maritime week, Nor-shipping and London International Shipping Week 2025.
Last year, the UKSC team co-organised an event at Hong Kong Maritime Week exploring areas of counterparty compliance and maritime jurisdictions for shipping clusters.
So, what’s on the Agenda for UKSC this year?
“We’re watching carefully in areas of seafarer training and the policy and syllabus around that, also we will be active within the future clean maritime plan that will inform our strategic direction for 2025,” says Neil.
The UKSC team is currently recruiting for an Operations Coordinator. Read more here.
