About us
One voice for maritime in the north of the UK
Maritime Up North is a not-for-profit membership association connecting the people and organisations that shape shipping, ports, offshore energy, marine engineering and seafarer training across northern England, Scotland and the Irish Sea.
Why we exist
The north of the UK handles an enormous share of the country’s trade, energy and marine activity, yet the industry behind it is spread across dozens of ports, estuaries and clusters that rarely speak as one. Businesses duplicate effort, opportunities go unnoticed, and the region’s collective weight is lost when decisions are made elsewhere.
Mersey Maritime showed what a well organised regional cluster can achieve. Maritime Up North applies that model at a wider scale: a single, credible association that any northern maritime organisation can join, built around membership, advocacy, networking and shared knowledge.
Our mission
“Our goal is simple: make the north of the UK the best place in Europe to build, operate and grow a maritime business.”
— Maritime Up North
What we set out to do
Give the north one clear maritime voice
Speak with authority to government, regulators, funders and the wider public on behalf of the northern maritime economy.
Connect a fragmented industry
Introduce ports to operators, operators to suppliers and suppliers to the training providers who supply their people.
Grow the talent pipeline
Support cadetships, apprenticeships and STCW training routes so northern employers can recruit and retain crew and shore staff.
Champion seafarer welfare
Work alongside seafarer charities and welfare organisations already doing outstanding work in northern ports.
Attract investment
Make the case for the north as the best place in Europe to build, operate and grow a maritime business.
Share knowledge
Circulate regulatory change, funding calls, tender opportunities and best practice through our member network.
How we work
Industry led
We are run by the industry, for the industry. Priorities are set by our members, not by outside interests.
Regional, not parochial
From the Humber and the Tees to Merseyside, Cumbria and the Solway, we work across the whole of the north.
Practical over political
We focus on the things that move the dial: skills, investment, supply-chain links and safer working at sea.
Open to all
Global operators, one-person consultancies, charities, colleges and students are all welcome members.
Who can join
Ports and harbour authorities, ship owners and operators, marine engineering and repair, offshore wind and energy supply chains, surveyors, brokers, legal and insurance firms, logistics operators, seafarer welfare charities, colleges, universities and training providers — plus individuals who simply want to support the sector.