Maritime DTU

New Maritime Centre for DTU

Construction and mechanics Transport and logistics Operations analysis

When DTU Maritime Center opens its doors on 1 May, the Blue Denmark will have a single point of contact for the full weight of the University’s expertise in the maritime field. In DTU’s new centre, researchers from all parts of the university can pool their input to create new interdisciplinary solutions to the challenges facing the maritime industry.

The driving force behind the new centre is a partnership between DTU Mechanical Engineering, DTU Management Engineering and DTU Transport.

DTU Maritime Center will be coordinating maritime activities at DTU in the areas of research, teaching, innovation and scientific advice. The centre is also intended to reinforce the partnership between Danish and international universities through running shared courses and exchange programmes for undergraduates, PhD fellows and lecturers. Another important goal for DTU Maritime Center is to identify needs for education, research and innovation in consultation with the maritime sector.

Development and innovation in the maritime field
On the subject of the new centre, Niels Axel Nielsen, DTU’s Senior Vice President for relations and services to the private and public sectors, says:

“DTU Maritime Center will significantly reinforce DTU’s opportunities to find solutions to the challenges facing the sector, particularly in the numerous areas that require academic expertise in multiple areas. Effective solutions to the sector challenges naturally demand insight into vessel technology, along with knowledge about fuels and measures to reduce environmental impact, operational optimization, safety and communication. DTU Maritime Center allows us to reinforce our internal coordination and, in particular, facilitates contact and collaboration between the sector and DTU as it provides a unified point of contact for enterprises and authorities operating in the industry.”

The Blue Denmark

The Blue Denmark is a term used for all maritime companies and professions in Denmark, such as the shipping companies, ship yards, industry suppliers, off shore companies, educational institutions, and authorities.

Denmark is one of the world’s foremost shipping nations, leading in cargo transport, tanker shipping, refrigerated cargo, and offshore. Danish ships sail the entire globe and enters harbours about 50.000 times a year.

  • Denmark transports 10 per cent of the total world trade— approx. 1 billion tonnes 
  • the Danish shipping companies earn approx. 140 billion Danish kroner a year
  • shipping is the most environmentally friendly form of transport 
  • Denmark is among the leading countries in the world in environmentally friendly shipbuilding and repair
  • the Danish merchant navy is the world’s youngest (each ship is on average seven years old) 
  • Denmark leads in the development of high-tech vessels for special projects and have for instance developed LNG and LPG tankers, diving vessels, cable installers, dredgers, and icebreakers
  • when a new ship leaves the shipyard, between 1,000 and 2,500 companies have supplied equipment, components and ship parts.