The leading maritime cities of the world

According to the May 2015 annual report from Menon Business Economics the Top 10 leading maritime cities in the world are: Singapore; Hamburg; Oslo; Hong Kong; Shanghai; London; Tokyo; Rotterdam; New York and Athens.

“Countries and cities are to an increasing extent competing to attract the best companies and most talented people,” the report said. “The winners in this race for attractiveness will become the leading maritime countries and cities of the world.

“This report benchmarks the top maritime cities around the world in four maritime sectors: shipping, finance and law, technology, and ports and logistics. We also present an overall assessment of the cities’ competitiveness and attractiveness to maritime companies. The report uses a broad set of objective indicators and builds on a comprehensive survey among 200 industry experts located in 33 countries.

“Three years ago, our first report on the leading maritime cities of the world ranked Singapore in first place. This year’s report again places Singapore at the top of the list. With its business-friendly policies, and being strategically located on the trade route between Europe and Asia, Singapore has gained a position in the global economy few would have predicted 40 years ago. As recently as 10 years ago, Singapore lacked maritime research and education, and the lines between foreign and domestic companies were weak. Today, the city plays a key role in all aspects of the maritime industry.

“Hamburg takes second place and Oslo comes third. Oslo has its strengths within maritime finance and technology, but is beaten overall by Hamburg because of Hamburg’s importance as a European port city. Both cities, together with London and Rotterdam, are fighting to become the leading city in Europe for maritime activities.

“London is the world’s leading city for maritime finance and law, while Rotterdam’s strength lies in port and logistics services.

“The increasing importance of China in the maritime industry is evident in the fact of Shanghai joining Hong Kong on the list of top five cities. China is the world’s largest trading nation, has one of the world’s largest shipbuilding industries and six of this world’s ten largest ports are located in the vast country. Hong Kong is challenged as a maritime hub by the strong growth rate of other Chinese cities.

“Looking five years into the future, our experts predict that Singapore will keep its position as the global leader, while Shanghai is expected to increase its importance and become the second most important maritime city.

“The race to become the leading city in Europe is still open, between the big four.

“Dubai is predicted to take the step from being the leading maritime city in the Middle East to one of the leading maritime capitals of the world.”

Source: Menon Business Economics