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Auxnavalia

The Atlantic Area is a transnational cooperation territory that comprises the entire territory of Ireland, the Atlantic regions of Spain, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands are no longer part of the eligible programme area. Concerning this territory, an Operational Programme (OP) named Transnational Cooperation Atlantic Area 2007-2013, was approved by the European Commission (CCI: 2007 CB163PO 029) on 20th of September 2007. 

Espacio AtlánticoTransnational cooperation on the Atlantic Area has a historical tradition. Pioneer frameworks began in the 1989-1993 programming period of the European structural funds, with the ATLANTIS pilot project. Despite its limited budget, Atlantis successfully launched the very first transnational cooperation projects financed by the ERDF.

This first experiment inspired the launch of the transnational strand of the INTERREG II initiative (1994-1999). Thirteen INTERREG IIC transnational cooperation programmes were launched, including the new “Atlantic Area” programme. A great many more structured projects were to emerge in 1998 and 1999.


During the period 2000-2006, a very significant increase in the budget allocated to transnational cooperation allowed the INTERREG IIIB Atlantic Area programme to make significant progress in terms of the scope and quality of projects, and helped develop management and cooperation skills.


Beginning with a strategic diagnostic of the current situation and predicted trends on the Atlantic Area and an analysis of transnational cooperation issues, the OP highlights a strategy for cooperation priorities. Based on these priorities, the OP defines the programme objectives and results, as the financing means and the implementation and management principles. The 2007-2013 Atlantic Area strategy endorses the overall aim of achieving significant and tangible progress in transnational cooperation geared towards cohesive, sustainable and balanced territorial development of the Atlantic Area and its maritime heritage.

Website of Atlantic Area.

 

The project has 6 participating partners that are directly related to the principal sector of the project: the naval ancillary industry. These partners belong to 3 participating countries from the Atlantic Area.
Spain:

Portugal:

United Kingdom :

 

The partners that promote this project are the following five organizations:

Fundación para el Fomento de la Calidad Industrial y el Desarrollo Tecnológico de Galicia (Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Quality and Technological Development of Galicia - SPAIN)
The Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Quality and Technological Development of Galicia was formed in October 1996 as a non profit-organization by the Ministry of Innovation and Industry of the Xunta de Galicia (Galician autonomous government).

This organization was pronounced to be of industrial interest by command of the Ministry of Presidency and Public Administration on the 2nd of December 1996 (published on the DOG –Galician Official Gazette– no. 241 from the 11th of December), of interest for Galicia by command of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce from the 19th of December 1996 (published on the DOG no. 253 from the 30th of December) and registered into the Single Register of Foundations of interest for Galicia with number 1996/13.

With the aim to contribute to ensure and guarantee its management, the Foundation certified its administrative system with the ISO 9002:94 on the 27th of July 2000. Later, on the 1st of February 2001, they updated this certificate with the ISO 9001:2000 regulation, thus being the first Galician organization to fulfil this process of certification, as well as one of the first in Spain.

The objectives of the Foundation are promoting the dissemination and application of policies related to quality, technology and innovation; they additionally have the management of technological infrastructures, the Centre of Innovation and Services (CIS) of the Design and Technology of Galicia, the Centre of Innovation and Technological Services (CIS) of Wood of Galicia and the Official Laboratory of Metrology of Galicia. From each of these centres they carry out the activities described in the framework of their technical and strategy competences.

Asociación Cluster del Naval Gallego – ACLUNAGA (Association of the Galician Naval Cluster - SPAIN)
The mission of the Galician Naval Cluster (ACLUNAGA), which was created through the initiative of the Ministry of Innovation and Industry of the Xunta de Galicia (Galician autonomous government), is improving the competitiveness and promoting the development of the group of companies that make up the Galician naval sector, thus establishing consensus between the participants on the following subjects:
•    The challenges they are facing
•    The objectives and strategies to overcome them
•    The priority actions to be carried out by the companies and Cluster itself, with the support and participation of the rest of agents present in the sector (administration, university, unions, sectorial organizations, etc.)

Nowadays the Cluster is made up of 133 companies, whose products and services fulfil all the parts of the value chain of the naval construction (from shipyards and engineering firms to classification and certification societies, and taking into account providers of equipment goods and suppliers, authorizing firms, installers or metal companies). Thus, ACLUNAGA’s first aim, which is becoming the institution which more faithfully reflects and represents the Galician naval sector, is fulfilled.

Oficina da Inovação S.A. – BIC Minho (Office of Innovation BIC Minho - PORTUGAL)
The Office of Innovation S.A. (BIC Minho) has the objective to promote entrepreneurship and business innovation by supporting the creation and modernization of companies, thus contributing to the development and competitiveness of the Minho region.

It is a non profit-organization, formed by public and private promoters among who we may find institutions and firms that aim to develop the Minho region by creating innovative companies and by consolidating the existing SMEs.

The experience acquired by the Office of Innovation allows it to position it as a knowledge and competence centre in a business management level; with this position they also imply a catalyst element between companies and entrepreneurs who are in basic areas of actuation.

The activity of the Office of Innovation is basically developed in two levels: on the one hand they promote training in companies with innovative character, by supporting entrepreneurs in the process of creating an enterprise; on the other hand, they support projects involved in business modernization, destined mainly to small and medium sized enterprises.

Associação das Indústrias Marítimas ‐ AIM (Association of Maritime Industries - PORTUGAL)
The Association of Maritime Industries (AIM) is the successor of some other two organizations created for the defence of the interests of shipyards dedicated to building and repairing naval structures in Portugal. Their domain is national.

It is a non profit employers association created under the order-law number 215-C/75 and other applicable regulations.

They have shipyards, classifier societies, maritime operators and suppliers among the partners and they are located all along the Atlantic coast of Portugal.

Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers Association ‐ SSA (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers Association – SSA represents their partners before the national government in the UK, the EU, before regional development agencies and those organizations in charge of the development and application of the international rules and regulations applying the sector.

The SSA keeps in touch with the departments and agencies of the British Government, and among them, the Department of Business Enterprise Regulation & Reform (BERR), Marine Industries Leadership Council (MILC), Community of European Shipyard Associations (CESA), Department Innovation University & Skills (DIUS), Technology Strategy Board (TSB), Defence Equipment and Support [DE&S], the Health & Safety Executive [HSE], SEMTA, Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [DEFRA], UK Trade & Investment and Regional Development Agencies (RDA's) across the UK.
Through our representative in CESA, members have access to business interest groups, technical, defence and R&D networks across Europe. Further to this SSA plays an active role in the Research & Development Group, securing EU research funding via Framework Programme 7 (FP7), the Ship Maintenance, Repair and Conversion Group and in helping to shape European shipyard policy through initiatives like LeaderSHIP 2015.

Universities of Glasgow & Strathclyde (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering was established in 2001 through a merge between the Department of Ship and Marine Technology at the University of Strathclyde and the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at the University of Glasgow.

This merger brought considerable benefits enabling complementary knowledge and expertise to be shared leading to the creation of a centre recognized nationally and internationally for its excellence in teaching and research.

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering is a highly active research department, with world-leading expertise in a number of research areas. Our main research interests lie in:
•    Ship Stability and Safety
•    Marine Hydrodynamics
•    Marine Structures
•    Ocean Engineering
•    Marine Engineering
•    Emerging Technologies
•    Marine Renewable Energy and Alternative fuels

Chronological

  

From a chronological point of view, the project will last for a period of 26 months; from November 2008 to December 2010. It shall follow a scheduled milestone system via time schedules that foresee the implementation of actions in a logical and integrated sequence

Geographic


The project is therefore envisaged within a framework oriented towards reinforcing competitiveness and innovation in excellence niches of the Atlantic Area maritime economy, such as the naval sector and more specifically in the ancillary industry.

As for the territorial scope of action of this project, it is located in the regions included within the Atlantic Area programme. The lands included in this project are the ones related to the fields of action of the partners, and include the following:

•    Galicia (Spain)
•    Portugal
•    United Kingdom

 
The AUX-NAVALIA project aims to improve the competitiveness and innovativeness of the industry of ancillary services of the naval sector, since it is an essential link in the maritime economy. It concentrates on a niche sector, naval ancillary industry with great potential for the future of the area.
According to the Operational Programme Atlantic Area Transnational Cooperation 2007 - 2013, AUX-NAVALIA is part of Priority 1: promoting transnational networks and business innovation. " Consistent with this priority and its drive for competitiveness and innovation in the industry of naval auxiliary, located in the Objective 1.2. Strengthening competitiveness and innovation capacity in the niches of excellence in the maritime economy. "
In more concrete terms, the project coordinated the creation of structures for the promotion of R & D in industry and naval auxiliary and encourages the transfer of innovative technology to promote closer cooperation and development in this sector which will contribute positively in employment and greater social cohesion.

The transnational dimension of the project will enhance synergies to be a more competitive industry and reach a larger capacity and thus have better access to European programmes for development and innovation.

OBJECTIVES TO BE ACHIEVED

INNOVATIVE ASPECTS

TRADUCED BY GOOGLE TRADUCTOR

 

AUX-NAVALIA  project is funded by the Transnational Cooperation in the European Atlantic area. AUX-NAVALIA is aimed at enhancing competitiveness and innovation capacity in a niche of excellence for the maritime economy of several European Atlantic regions, as in the shipbuilding industry and in particular its auxiliary industry.
The current world situation in the naval sector could be summarised using the following data:  Asian, Japanese and especially Korean shipyards are leaders in the world on the subject of building big vessels. Asia is emerging as the new shipbuilding potential, especially China and therefore European countries are designing strategies to help them compete in other market segments (building of warships, reefers, cargo vessels and container ships, etc.).

In Europe, the weight of countries located within the area of influence of the transnational Atlantic Area program is almost half of the European added value generated in the naval sector thus showing a strong concentration of this industry in the said geographic area.  It is therefore paradoxical to note that only 10% of contracts are allocated to the EU shipyards in the merchant navy  shipbuilding segment while the figure is 58% for Korea and 22% for Japan and other Asian shipyards, amongst which the Chinese quota is visibly increasing. The demand within the merchant navy vessels segment should be fundamentally European because vessel owners from EU member states signed orders for new vessels in 2003 which represent 51.5% of the total worldwide shipbuilding orders. The main challenge of the European shipbuilding industry and especially that of the countries that lie within the Atlantic Area, is that of successfully competing in the worldwide market with shipyards from the Far East.

The way forward for European shipyards to compete in the global market with a structural trend of price reduction and localisation cost overruns within the Euro zone, is as follows:-Obtain a certain reserve of the domestic market through EU political-administrative actions.-Increase productivity in production processes.-Reduce fixed costs.-Define new technology intensive products that are protected by the corresponding patents.-Firmly manage the financing problem by recourse to instruments defined and arranged with financing entities.-Get the support of the European Union to establish new policies to help companies that are linked to innovation, technological and organisational excellence objectives.

It is important to reflect on the significant role played by the ancillary industry within the naval sector from the Atlantic Area. It is greatly responsible for the final added value generated by this sector and is mainly comprised of three types of companies:

a) suppliers of capital goods,

b) integrators: big companies that undertake works related to fitting out, electrical installations, insulations, etc. and SMEs that fundamentally provide labour (installations, interior fittings, etc.).

Even though the naval ancillary industry is not the driving force, it can nevertheless be considered to be the base of the shipbuilding industry, both in terms of added value provision to the vessel (more than 70% in most shipbuilding works) as well as in terms of workforce used (about 47,000 direct jobs) which amounts to 87% of employment in the shipbuilding sector for Spain. This third segment is where most of the small but labour intensive enterprises lie. They are currently less competitive and this therefore negatively affects the competitiveness of the overall sector. In fact this ancillary services industry is quite vulnerable to changes in its environment because it is mainly comprised of small and less modernised companies which are nevertheless a fundamental link for shipyards to be more competitive since they represent a sizeable percentage of the final cost of the ship. It is also the segment that is less supported by public sector grants.

Given the strategic importance  and the weight of the ancillary industry, as well as its repercussion on competitiveness of the naval sector as a whole, it is fundamental to act on this business link in order to contribute towards making the Atlantic Area naval sector more competitive in the global market..

 

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