KNVTS onderscheiden met CEMT Award 2023

Op 8 november jl. heeft Trevor Blakeley voorzitter van de Confederation of European Maritime Technology Societies ( CEMT ) tijdens de Europort 2023 de CEMT Award 2023 aan KNVTS uitgereikt. KNVTS heeft de Award verdient vanwege haar bijdragen aan het succes van de Europese maritieme industrie. Ton Bos bedankte de CEMT voorzitter voor de toekenning en besteedde in zijn dankwoord kort aandacht aan het internationale karakter van de sector in Nederland. Hij bedankte hierbij ook de aanwezige jongeren, werkzaam in de maritieme sector.

De speech van Trevor Blakeley, voorzitter van CEMT

Thank you for joining us here today on the occasion of the presentation of the 2023 CEMT Annual Award.

As some of you may be aware, the Confederation of European Maritime Technology Societies – CEMT – is an independent confederation of national professional societies from the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Serbia, Finland, Poland, Denmark, Greece, Turkey and of course the Netherlands. Collectively, CEMT represents over 60,000 professional maritime engineers in Europe, who are involved in all sectors of the maritime industry – design, construction, maintenance and operations – in universities, industry and maritime organisations.

CEMT provides a forum for the exchange of information on matters relating to the education and professional development of naval architects, marine engineers and others in the field of maritime technology. CEMT also provides a link between the member societies of CEMT and organisations such as European Union where it contributes its collective to such issues as the EU’s maritime policy. CEMT is also an NGO member of CCNR – the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine – and the UN Economic Commission for Europe.

As with its member societies, CEMT aims to promote the highest professional standards throughout the European maritime community, both by organisations and individuals. Such high standards are encouraged by the recognition of their achievement. The CEMT Award is presented annually in recognition of the outstanding achievement in the field of maritime technology by an individual, company or organisation from one of the member countries of CEMT.

The 18th CEMT Annual Award for 2023 is made to an organisation which this year celebrates the 125th anniversary of its founding – I refer of course to that organisation, which those of us who have tried but failed to pronounce its name in Dutch now simply refer to as KNVTS.

As I am sure its members are aware, KNVTS was founded in 1898 as the Association of Mechanical Engineers in the Merchant Navy – again my apologies for failing in the Dutch translation. In 1916 the name was changed to the Association of Shipping Technicians. And
on the occasion of the centenary of the association in 1998, it was awarded the title of ‘Royal’ and continues today as the Royal Dutch Association of Shipping Technicians, that is KNVTS. Incidentally, KNVTS was a founding member of CEMT.

It is therefore a great pleasure, on behalf of the Confederation of European Maritime Technology Societies to present the 18th CEMT Award to KNVTS in recognition or the significant contribution which it has made to the success of the Dutch and European maritime industry over the past 125 years through its work in encouraging and assisting its members to achieve the highest standards of professional competence and integrity.