‘A captain is essentially a multicultural manager these days’

The maritime sector is facing major challenges. There is a growing shortage of qualified personnel, regulations are constantly changing, and the sector is working hard towards more sustainable and efficient shipping. At the same time, the nature of work on board is changing.

Maritime professionals are increasingly expected to bring more to the table: alongside technical knowledge, leadership, communication and collaboration have become essential skills.These developments are also being felt in the Northern Netherlands and neighbouring northern Germany. The maritime sector is of great importance to the region’s economy and labour market. Around the Ems-Dollard region, companies, educational institutions and other organisations are working together across borders on the future of the sector. That is why it is important not only to invest in new technologies and more sustainable shipping, but also in the people who make these developments possible.

One of the initiatives contributing to this is MyCaDO (My Career Development Online). This Interreg VI project brings together Dutch and German companies and knowledge institutions to develop a digital learning environment for maritime professionals. The platform supports employees with their education, personal development and career planning. Through tailored learning modules, up-to-date knowledge and insight into possible career paths, MyCaDO helps professionals continue to develop throughout their careers. At Hanze, MyCaDO is being carried out through the International Business and Regional Innovation Capacity research groups. Cross-border collaboration and internationalisation are important themes within these research groups. Drawing on this expertise, Hanze contributes to connecting education, research and maritime practice. The ultimate goal of MyCaDO is twofold: to support professionals in their development and to contribute to a future-proof maritime sector in the Northern Netherlands and the border region.

Working together on the future

The project partners recently came together to discuss the progress of MyCaDO and exchange experiences. The first components of the platform are now being tested in practice, and partners shared the insights the project has generated so far. The MyCaDO closing event will take place on 6 October 2026, when the project results will be presented and partners will look ahead to the next steps.

For this article, we spoke to three project partners, each with a different role in the maritime sector. Kor Wormmeester is Manager Crewing at Seatrade Groningen, a Groningen-based shipping company specialising in refrigerated and frozen sea transport. Auke Douma is Head of Crew Management at Wijnne & Barends, a Dutch shipping company with an international crew. Roman Heil works at Atria Learning & Development, an organisation specialising in learning and development within the maritime sector. Despite their different backgrounds, they agree on one thing: the future of the maritime sector is not only about new technologies, but above all about developing people.

Technical skills alone are no longer enough

In the maritime world, training has traditionally focused heavily on technical knowledge. International regulations specify exactly which certificates and professional competencies seafarers need.

According to Roman Heil, however, that is only half the story. “Technical career development is well organised, but the human side is often still missing. How do you lead an international team? How do you communicate effectively in safety-critical situations? These are skills that are becoming increasingly important.” Kor Wormmeester sees this development every day at Seatrade as well. “Technical skills can be taught relatively easily, but working together, communicating and leading are much more complex. You have to keep working on those throughout your career.” That is precisely why MyCaDO focuses not only on professional knowledge, but also on personal development and leadership.

A learning environment that grows with the employee

The project partners do not see the digital platform as simply a collection of online courses, but as a personal tool that supports employees throughout their careers. Auke Douma sees this as an important added value. “An employee should not only be able to see which certificates are required for their next position, but also which personal skills are needed. You can be fully qualified technically, but that does not automatically mean that you are ready to take on a leadership role.” Roman Heil also emphasises that every employee needs their own learning pathway. “People learn in different ways. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work. The platform should give employees insight into their opportunities and help them take ownership of their own development.” According to Kor Wormmeester, this is precisely where MyCaDO’s strength lies. Not every organisation has to develop its own learning environment from scratch. By working together, knowledge can be shared and companies can jointly invest in the development of their employees.

Working across borders

The maritime sector is international by nature. Crews consist of people with different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. This can make collaboration challenging, but also highly valuable. At Wijnne & Barends, employees come from countries including the Philippines, Russia, Poland, Ukraine and various other European countries. According to Auke Douma, this requires more than technical expertise alone. “A captain is essentially a multicultural manager these days. They need to understand how different cultures communicate and work together.” The collaboration within MyCaDO itself also shows how much can be learned from one another. Dutch and German partners each bring their own expertise and ways of working. According to Roman Heil, this is precisely what leads to new insights and better solutions.

Innovation starts with people

When people talk about innovation, they often think of new engines, alternative fuels or smart technologies. Thanks to MyCaDO, Auke Douma now looks at innovation differently. “I always associated innovation with technology. But innovation can also be found in the way you train, support and enable people to work together. That may well be the most important lesson I take away from this project.” Kor Wormmeester agrees. In his view, a future-proof organisation is not only about performance or compliance, but also about employees who continue to develop. “Lifelong learning should be second nature. Ultimately, you build a strong organisation by investing just as much in people as you do in technology.”

Learning from different perspectives

An important part of MyCaDO is the collaboration between education and industry. For the project partners, the consortium provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences and work together on a solution to a shared challenge. Kor Wormmeester of Seatrade values the collaboration with Hanze. “We know the practical side, but developing education is a profession in itself. By combining that expertise, you can create better solutions.” Roman Heil also looks back positively on the collaboration. According to him, the different backgrounds of the partners brought new insights and contributed to a stronger end result. At the same time, Auke Douma shows that collaboration between education and industry also comes with challenges. Educational materials do not always automatically fit the day-to-day reality or the diverse target group within the maritime sector. By discussing these issues together and gaining a better understanding of each other’s perspectives, valuable improvements were made. According to the partners, it is precisely this combination of expertise that makes MyCaDO strong: researchers, educators and companies each contribute their own knowledge to jointly build a learning environment that connects with the realities of today and tomorrow.

A sector full of opportunities

Although the maritime sector is facing a shortage of new professionals, the interviewees mainly see opportunities for students and young employees. The work is international, varied and comes with a high level of responsibility. You work with colleagues from all over the world, develop yourself quickly and are often given significant responsibility at a young age. At the same time, working at sea also requires something of you. You are regularly away from home for longer periods, and that is not for everyone. For many professionals, however, the advantages far outweigh the challenges. You gain a great deal of experience in a relatively short time, learn how to work with different cultures and develop skills that will benefit you throughout your career. As Roman Heil puts it: “Building the capabilities of a multicultural manager – especially in this extremely demanding environment – takes time and requires development with hands, heart and head.”