Polish export strategy gains government support

The Polish Chamber of Marine Industry and Water Sports (Polboat) confirmed a new export promotion package for 2020 and 2021 at a press conference during this week‘s Düsseldorf Boat Show.

Speaking at the conference, Michal Bak, Polboat’s secretary general, said: “The Polish Ministry of Development has launched the promotional program supporting Polish SMEs from boating industry. The operators of the program are BERM agency and Murator Expo (the executive organiser of the Wind and Water boat shows), in co-operation with Polboat.

”The industry promotional program BRAND will be implemented in the years 2020-2022 and assume the preparation of national stands at major boat shows around the world. It will also prepare incoming missions including the Study Tour for journalists and industry suppliers to the Wind and Water boat shows in Warsaw and Gdynia. The Ministry, together with Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, also offers grants for individual shipyards by covering part of the costs related to exhibiting at boat shows and other promotional activities.”

Asked about the aim of the program, Bak outlined: “The aim of the industry program is to promote Polish branded products and to strengthen the image of the Polish boating industry and the Polish economy in the world. Because of this program, at this year’s BOOT, you can see some 200 Polish built boats from major builders such as Galeon, Sunreef, Delphia, Conrad, Parker, Northman, Cobra Yachts, Cobrey and Haber Yachts. There are also smaller but very promising boatyards including Mongrid Yachts (carbon fibre motorboats), Futuro Boats (aluminium motorboats), D-Boat (very light and fast motorboats) or Sobusiak Yacht Yard (daily cruiser sailing yachts).”

In total there are 39 Polish companies directly exhibiting at Boot, with other Polish boats and equipment also exhibited by German dealers.

Polboat president Sebastian Nietupski told IBI: “The Polish boating industry is a significant part of the global market and Polboat is an active member of ICOMIA and the European Boat Industry (EBI). Presently Poland is the European leader in the most popular segment of motorboats from 6m-11m with outboard engines and is the second-largest producer in the world to the US in this sector. About 70% of the total production of boats in Poland are produced by the seven largest builders in Poland. Other specialties are sailing yachts, aluminium boats, houseboats and a wide offer of various suppliers. In total the sector comprises approximately 1,000 companies employing over 4,000 workers. In 2018 Polish producers made almost 24,000 sailing yachts and motorboats.”