Maritime Achievement of the Year Award goes to Donsö Shipping Meet (DSM)

Maritime Achievement of the Year Award Goes to Donsö Shipping Meet (DSM)

This year, the Maritime Achievement of the Year award has been presented to Donsö Shipping Meet (DSM) for its work in uniting the maritime industry and promoting increased collaboration and development around key issues.

The award was presented during the Swedish Shipowners’ Association’s annual meeting at Hasselbacken in Stockholm by Johanna Rantsi, Member of Parliament and maritime policy spokesperson for the Moderate Party.

The jury’s motivation reads:

“For 15 years, the private initiative Donsö Shipping Meet (DSM) has brought together stakeholders from across the maritime sector—shipping companies, suppliers, and other businesses—to connect the Swedish and international maritime communities and promote greater cooperation. The event places a special focus on issues central to the shipping industry, such as the green transition, skills development, safety, sustainability, and inclusion. In recent years, DSM has also addressed the challenges posed by a shifting security landscape. Through its work, DSM has contributed to the development of Swedish shipping and clearly meets an industry need, as evidenced by its steady growth and the broad and respected audience it attracts.”

“I feel both proud and moved to receive this award,” says Jonas Backman, CEO of Sirius Shipping. “DSM is a huge undertaking that we are now organizing for the ninth time. Many parties are involved, and it takes a tremendous amount of work. But every second is worth it when we see the entire Swedish maritime cluster gathered—along with our global partners—on Donsö, contributing their knowledge and commitment.”

Honorable Mention: Women in Maritime – Öckerö Municipality and Wärtsilä

In addition to the main award, an honorable mention was given to Öckerö Municipality and Wärtsilä for their initiative to host Women in Maritime Day in Sweden. The jury’s motivation reads:

“Öckerö Municipality and Wärtsilä organize 'Women in Maritime' in Sweden to mark the International Day for Women in Maritime. The initiative highlights women in the maritime industry, helps create role models and promotes recruitment, and fosters gender equality in a traditionally male-dominated field by emphasizing the importance of a more inclusive work environment. The industry's collective effort to ensure it is an attractive workplace for everyone is of great importance, especially given current challenges in securing future talent. The Women in Maritime Sweden initiative is an excellent example of how to improve efforts to attract and retain women in the maritime sector.”

“We are incredibly happy to receive this honorable mention,” says Lars Wallerstedt, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Sweden. “Women in Maritime Day is an important occasion to help increase gender equality in the sector and, in turn, improve the recruitment of women into shipping. Today, only 1.2 percent of the world’s seafarers are women—this is simply not acceptable.”
He is echoed by Jan Svensson, Head of Tourism and Business Development in Öckerö Municipality.

About the Jury
This year’s jury consisted of Anders Hermansson, CEO of the Swedish Shipowners’ Association; Jenni Ranhagen, CEO of the Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises; Hanna Andersson, third-year student at the Master Mariner Program at Chalmers University of Technology; and Claes Berglund, Chair of the Swedish Shipowners’ Association.

Background
The Maritime Achievement of the Year award was established in 2023 by the industry organization Swedish Shipowners’ Association. The award aims to recognize and reward contributions that strengthen and advance Swedish shipping, highlighting innovation, sustainability, and dedication within the maritime sector