- Title: Poland sails ahead as EU yacht export powerhouse despite staff shortages
- Date: 23rd July 2019
- Summary: GDYNIA, POLAND (JULY 18, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BOAT MONACO 110 MADE BY PARKER POLAND SAILING VARIOUS OF INVESTORS FROM U.S. AND CHINA IN COCKPIT TALKING TO CAPTAIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL YACHT BROKERS ASSOCIATION (IYBA) PAUL FLANNERY TALKING TO MAN ONBOARD BOAT (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL YACHT BROKERS ASSOCIATION (IYBA) PAUL FLANNERY, SAYING: "I can say that Poland is on the rise. They've not been known over the years as a big component or a big player in the yacht building industry, but one of the things that people are realising is that the technology, the technological capabilities of the Polish people with their construction and the FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic) is well regarded." VARIOUS OF MONACO BOAT CAPTAIN TALKING TO INVESTOR FROM CHINA VARIOUS OF GALEON 650 SKYDECK BOAT MADE BY POLISH SHIPYARD, DOCKED IN MARINA VARIOUS OF INVESTOR FROM CHINA ON BOARD OF NORTHMAN 1200 BOAT VARIOUS OF NORTHMAN 1200 BOAT SAILING (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) CHAIRMAN OF THE POLISH CHAMBER OF MARINE INDUSTRY AND WATER SPORTS POLBOAT, SEBASTIAN NIETUPSKI, SAYING: "The boats are growing. The bigger the boat, automatically the more expensive it gets. This is a reason number one (for Poland accounting for 60 per cent of the value of yacht exported from EU, according to the latest Eurostat report). Number two is the number of boats, and number three is the equipment implemented on boats. The boats really have changed a lot, especially since the time of the financial crisis in 2008. Technological progress is happening in the boating industry as well." VARIOUS OF NORTHAM 1200 BOAT SAILING (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) CHAIRMAN OF THE POLISH CHAMBER OF MARINE INDUSTRY AND WATER SPORTS POLBOAT, SEBASTIAN NIETUPSKI, SAYING: "In many cases, Polish shipyards, which make their own yachts, also have contracts with foreign shipyards and make boats for them in their own factories. It is sort of a mish-mash which is very positive for the development of this industry." MONACO BOAT SAILING YACHTS AND BOATS DOCKED IN MARINA VARIOUS OF INVESTOR FROM CHINA LOOKING AT MONACO BOAT (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF PARKER POLAND, PHILIP SCOTT, SAYING: "We're finding it more and more difficult to find people. So a lot of the yards are forced to look for foreign labour, be it Ukrainians, Belarussians. So the difficulties in employing them is a problem." GDANSK, POLAND (JULY 22, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WORKER POLISHING YACHT AT SUNREEF YACHT SHIPYARD VARIOUS OF WORKER DOING SERVICE WORKS ON DECK OF YACHT (SOUNDBITE) (French) SUNREEF YACHTS' FOUNDER AND CEO, FRANCIS LAPP, SAYING: "We already have 200 Ukrainians at our company in the production department. Luckily we have enough people and we would want more, but we have come to a threshold at which it is a big problem for us." VARIOUS OF SUNREEF YACHTS' FOUNDER AND CEO, FRANCIS LAPP INSPECTING NEWLY MADE YACHT (SOUNDBITE) (French) SUNREEF YACHTS' FOUNDER AND CEO, FRANCIS LAPP, SAYING: "Well, the level of the price goes from a million and some euro up to - we have projects today for more than 30 million, 35 million euro. It depends on the size of the boat, the different materials dedicated to the boat, the finishing of the boat." GDYNIA, POLAND (JULY 18, 2019) (REUTERS) YACHTS AND BOATS IN MARINA MAN HOISTING SAIL VARIOUS OF SAILBOAT CRUISING SAILBOAT CREW SAILING CREW MEMBER LOOKING UP SAIL BEING LOWERED
- Embargoed: 6th August 2019 12:24
- Keywords: yacht industry yacht building boat show in Poland Sunreef Yachts Parker Poland Rafael Nadal
- Location: GDYNIA AND GDANSK, POLAND
- City: GDYNIA AND GDANSK, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001AP01YD5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Poland accounts for more than half of EU's yacht exports, according to recent data released by Eurostat, the EU statistic's office, but there is a bump on its road to success - a labour shortage.
Home to almost 1,000, mostly family-owned shipyards, Poland has become a perfect base for the marine industry's big players. Companies such as France's Jeanneau-Beneteau, American Brunswick Mercury Marine and British Parker have moved part of their production to Poland.
President of Parker Poland, Philip Scott, explained that foreign companies value Polish shipyards for their solidly-built and well-designed boats, but the success has its price, and the biggest challenge in the boating industry now is the availability of labour.
Staff shortages are caused not only by the increased numbers of orders, but mainly by the exodus of Polish workers to foreign companies. Scott said foreign recruiting agencies are being sent to Poland to lure the best workers to western Europe.
Polish boat manufacturers are increasingly specialising in the production of bigger boats, i.e. over ten metres, including luxurious yachts and catamarans equipped with innovative technologies and solutions, which make the final retail prices soar.
Sunreef Yachts, based in Gdansk, northern Poland, has made its name as the top producer of luxurious catamarans sold to CEOs, millionaires and celebrities around the world. They boast Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal as their latest client following his purchase of an '80 Sunreef Power' catamaran.
Sunreef's CEO Francis Lapp said his company already employs 200 Ukrainians who help keep production going, but with the increasing number of orders, it will be a big challenge to find workers.
In the last few years, Poland has been building up its position as the leader in the marine industry. A recent study published by the Polish Institute of Economics, based on Eurostat data from 2018, shows that Poland accounts for 60 percent of yachts exported from EU member states, blowing competitors Finland, responsible for 9.1 percent of exports, and Italy with 5.6 percent, out of the water.
(Production: Malgorzata Wojtunik, Kacper Pempel) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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