Meriverkostot 2024 event opens doors to business collaboration

Meriverkostot (The Sea Networks) event is being held for the sixth time on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Naantali Spa. Targeted at professionals in the maritime industry, the event offers participants an inspiring seminar program and the opportunity to meet new partners who can offer their expertise, production capacity, or entirely new solutions to the industry’s future challenges.

The primary goal for the event is to provide a platform for initiating and developing business collaborations. Nearly 80 % of the participants from 2023 reported that they had formed new collaborative networks through the event.

Last year’s Meriverkostot event kickstarted the collaboration between TKR products and B&N Marine. TKR offers domestic solutions for sealing, hazardous substance management, and coating. B&N Marine’s services include inspections of domestic vessels, acceptance of pilotage examinations, as well as consulting, training, and maritime transport services.

Kimmo Hakala, CEO of TKR, says that he was not familiar with B&N Marine’s operations before and ended up at B&N Marine’s exhibitor booth by chance during a conversation with sea captain Niclas Seligson at the event. They quickly found common ground.

As part of the collaboration, B&N Marine has offered its expertise to help TKR establish connections and contacts in the maritime industry. TKR’s products are particularly popular in the property sector, but have also been tested on ships for some time. The collaboration between the companies is still in its early stages, but through it, TKR’s products designed for challenging conditions are finding their market in the maritime industry.

Niclas Seligson sees TKR’s products as a significant improvement in the maritime industry because TKR’s coatings are more user-friendly and safer compared to many other options.

“Our biobased products have already garnered a lot of interest in the maritime industry, even globally. Responsibility and circular economy are also being valued in the ship sector. Extending the life cycle of old structures is indeed the best kind of circular economy,” Kimmo Hakala states.

At the Naantali Meriverkostot event, TKR products and B&N Marine have participated for several years. According to Hakala, the event has played a significant role in enabling TKR to establish contacts and a network in the industry. For B&N Marine, Meriverkostot has particularly allowed the company to increase its visibility.

“Meriverkostot is a really good package overall. One day is quite a short time, but it’s enough to meet people, have discussions, and network,” Seligson says.

B&N Marine and TKR will be participating as exhibitors at the Meriverkostot 2024 event on March 14, 2024, where the companies will share more about their upcoming collaborations.

More than 30 exhibitors have already registered for the 2024 event, and the last spots are now being distributed. Registration for visitors to the fair is currently underway.