As the global shipping industry faces mounting concerns over future crew availability, Danica Crewing Specialists has expanded its international recruitment network to include Indonesian seafarers, giving shipowners access to one of the world’s largest maritime labour markets and helping them strengthen their long-term crewing strategies.
The expansion further enhances Danica Crewing Specialists’ ability to provide clients with a broader and more diversified pool of qualified seafarers through a single trusted recruitment partner.
Industry forecasts continue to point to a worsening shortage of qualified seafarers in the years ahead, making workforce planning and recruitment diversification increasingly important for shipowners seeking to ensure uninterrupted operations.
“Access to qualified seafarers is becoming one of the most important strategic challenges facing shipowners today,” said Henrik Jensen (pictured, right), Founder and CEO of Danica Crewing Specialists. “While there is currently a shortage of competent crew, industry forecasts indicate the situation is only going to become more challenging in the years ahead. Shipowners need to have strategies in place to mitigate this risk, and one of the most effective ways to do that is by broadening their recruitment options.”
Founded in Germany and establishing a crewing agency in Ukraine in 2013, Danica Crewing Specialists has spent the past decade strategically expanding its international presence to cover the world’s major seafaring hubs and now operates recruitment offices in Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and across the European Union, providing clients with access to multiple crew sources through a single trusted partner and a consistent recruitment process.
The company’s newest office in Indonesia is staffed by a young and dynamic local team led by managers with seagoing experience as senior officers serving European shipowners on dry cargo and gas tanker vessels. Their practical maritime expertise helps ensure a strong understanding of both client requirements and candidate quality. Angga Luthfi Eldrianto (pictured, left) heads up Danica’s joint venture in Indonesia.
Indonesia is one of the world’s largest seafaring nations, with an estimated 1.4 million seafarers and while the majority are employed in domestic trade between the country’s more than 17,500 islands, approximately 60,000 officers and 80,000 deck and engine ratings currently serve on internationally trading vessels across a wide range of vessel types.
“Indonesia is a natural addition to our network,” added Mr Jensen. “It boasts a strong maritime tradition, robust training infrastructure and a large pool of qualified seafarers. By establishing a local presence in Indonesia, we are further strengthening our ability to support clients with reliable, flexible and diversified crewing solutions.”
Indonesia is fully STCW White List compliant, a full member of the IMO, and has fully implemented the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), providing international shipowners with confidence in the country’s training and regulatory standards. From an operational perspective, Indonesia also offers a straightforward deployment process. While deployed seafarers and vessels must be registered with local authorities, the process is largely administrative and can be completed even after the seafarer has departed the country.
For shipowners, Indonesian seafarers represent a competitive crewing option, with salary levels generally comparable to those of Filipino seafarers while providing access to an additional and increasingly important source of maritime talent.
By adding Indonesia to its recruitment network, Danica Crewing Specialists says it is further strengthening its ability to help clients reduce supply risk, widen their recruitment options and secure qualified crew in an increasingly competitive global labour market.
Diptesh Chohan
