The maritime industry is a mass of heterogeneous companies with diverse competences, products and services. The maritime industry entered a recession during 2009. Globally, the number of new ship orders has decreased substantially, and this resulted in a collapse in the demand for products within the expertise sectors of Finnish maritime businesses. The ongoing period of change has had a major impact on hundreds of Finnish companies and, through them, on society.

Companies in the field of maritime industry need external support and expertise in order to cope and to develop. The Finnish maritime industry possesses internationally significant competence that must be retained, renewed and increased. To ensure future competitiveness and success, the industry requires new business openings and innovations.

Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) and the Centre for Maritime Studies of the University of Turku (CMS)  have formed a partnership to work on the MariTime Hubs Project for Best Practices for the Structural Changes in the Maritime Industry in the EU. The purpose of the project is to form international links to share experiences, information and existing best practices related to sudden structural changes, and to build long-term national and international partnerships between development organisations. The project is related to several maritime industry development projects in Southwest Finland, in which the above mentioned partners have a planning, preparatory or implementation role.

The project aims to enhance the learning of the network of industrial developers, and its links with international operators and procedures.