GMU Leaders Take Part in Forum Okrętowe Employers' Association Debate
15.04.2026 | 2 min. czytania
On 15 April, GMU leaders took part in a debate on the future of the Polish shipbuilding industry and the broader blue economy, held in the Hall of Tradition of the Gdansk ‘Remontowa’ Shipyard. The debate was organised as part of the General Assembly of the Members of the FORUM OKRĘTOWE Employers’ Association. Gdynia Maritime University was represented by HM The Rector of GMU, Professor Adam Weintrit, and Captain Dariusz Jellonek, Director of the Maritime Operations Department.
Attending the meeting were representatives of public administration, industry, academia, and institutions connected with the maritime sector. The debate outlined the strategic significance of the shipbuilding industry for the safety and development of the Polish economy. An important part of the event was the welcoming of new members of the FORUM OKRĘTOWE Employers’ Association, one of which is Gdynia Maritime University.
HM The Rector, Professor Adam Weintrit, expressed his thanks for accepting the University as a member of the Association. He also spoke of his gratitude for the Association’s support for the construction of a successor to GMU’s sail training ship, Dar Młodzieży. In relation to the building of the ship, he underscored the significance of cooperation between science and industry for the development of the maritime sector:
The construction of a new tall ship is crucial both to the promotion of maritime issues within Polish society and to the development of education for future maritime personnel – including specialists for the shipbuilding industry. It is my hope that the new vessel will be built in Poland by a Polish shipyard – provided, of course, that it wins the tender, which Gdynia Maritime University, as a public entity, is obliged to announce.
The participants agreed that, in the face of global competition and increasing dependence on Asian markets, there is a need for a long-term, coherent strategy encompassing the entire blue economy sector – from shipbuilding, ports, and the merchant fleet to education and workforce development.
In concluding the discussion, Ireneusz Karaśkiewicz, Director of the Office of the FORUM OKRĘTOWE Employers’ Association, emphasised the need for close cooperation among all entities within the Association and for greater synergy in their activities.
