Another edition of Marintec South America, the main trade fair in South America dedicated to the shipbuilding, maintenance and operations sectors, began this Tuesday (14) in Rio de Janeiro. The tone of this first day was the renewed optimism among the businesspeople participating in the event.
The new positioning of executives from national and international companies present at the fair coincides with the results obtained in a recent survey conducted by Marintec organizer UBM Brazil, one of the largest promoters of B2B events in the world, which indicated that the shipbuilding industry should remain without significant layoffs until the end of 2018. The survey, entitled "Perspectives and Business of the Brazilian Shipbuilding Industry", mapped the job and business prospects of the sector based on professionals and entrepreneurs who visited Marintec South America between 2015 and 2017. The expectation is that the current 30 direct jobs will be maintained and that the market will start hiring again from 2019 onwards.
Marine Office CEO Antonino Italiano believes that the survey accurately reflects the current situation in the sector. Since 2014, the company, which provides products and services for the maritime sector, has not hired any new employees, but has not laid off any. He says that the market has reached a very low level and laying off more professionals means ceasing to operate. "We no longer see many companies laying off employees, because we have reached a very low limit of production capacity. Everyone is holding on to the best professionals to return to the market," he says.
Another exhibitor at Marintec 2018 that is optimistic is Ulstein Belga Marine, which has been operating in Brazil for 40 years in naval telecommunications, offering navigation aid equipment. General director Anderson Derossi believes that the situation will improve again from 2019 onwards. "In order to be able to perform strongly in our segment, we depend heavily on Petrobras and other oil companies to have a more intense flow of activities, in addition to new projects. Today, companies are waiting for the market to heat up and retaining their professionals," he concludes.
Opportunity to invest - In addition to the increase in layoffs, the market is experiencing an incipient recovery in investments. One example is Cummins, an exhibitor at Man.U.Tec, a Maintenance and Industrial Utilities fair that takes place in parallel with Marintec. The company took advantage of the event to launch the X15 electronic engine, which will be produced by the company in 2019 in the United States. The equipment is expected to be used in tugboats, fishing boats, river pushers, passenger transport, among other commercial applications for the sector.
The company's branch director, Marcelo Foster, states that in addition to the launch, the North American engine manufacturer maintains the Brazilian market as part of its strategic development plan. "In 2017, in Rio de Janeiro alone, we invested approximately R$1,5 million in infrastructure and workshop services, technical assistance, and layout changes to better serve employees and customers. We understand that the Brazilian market is full of ups and downs. While many companies are at a standstill, we have identified an opportunity to grow," he explains.
Another exhibitor that also reserved launches for Marintec 2018 was Macnor Marine, a representation, consulting and services company that operates in the offshore and Oil & Gas segments. The company presented Macboom, the first ocean oil containment boom that has a more affordable price, as it is 100% manufactured in Brazil. "We believe that it is essential to innovate, especially in a time of crisis", says services coordinator Anna Guimarães.
The sales manager for Latin America at engine manufacturer MTU, Rodrigo Miranda, agrees with the other businessmen. He believes that the worst moment for the market has passed. "Starting next year, we are confident that the sector will start to show the first signs of improvement. We are a century-old company and we do not only operate in good times," he concludes.