The maritime industry talks a great deal about its shortage of skilled people. A harder question gets less attention: how can the industry keep asking for experienced people if it does not create enough opportunities for people to gain that experience in the first place?
That question framed the WISTA Estonia Annual Event 2026, Building the Maritime Talent Pipeline: Education, Technology, Science and Leadership, held on 23 September at TalTech Kuressaare College on Saaremaa Island. The event was organised and sponsored by the TalTech Smart Sea Centre of Excellence (Targa mere fookustippkeskus) together with WISTA Estonia.
A visit from the WISTA International President
The programme began a day earlier in Tallinn, where WISTA Estonia welcomed Elpi Petraki, President of WISTA International. She visited Tallinn Shipyard, part of BLRT Repair Yards, for a closer look at Estonia’s ship repair sector. She then met the WISTA Estonia board together with Céline Mortier, President of WISTA Belgium, before the group travelled on to Saaremaa.
Two panels, one theme
In Kuressaare, Elpi Petraki opened the event with a keynote, followed by two closely connected discussions.
The first panel, Maritime Talent Across Borders, brought together Elpi Petraki, Inga Zaitseva, President of WISTA Estonia, and Céline Mortier. They compared what Greece, Estonia and Belgium are doing to attract people into shipping, trade and logistics, and what makes them stay.
The second panel, with Valentin Bratkov, Julia Rahula, Kristjan Truu and Jaanika Tiitson, turned the discussion to Estonia.
One point came through strongly: the sector increasingly needs people who can do more than one thing well. Shipping and law. Maritime and regulation. Engineering and business. Technology and operations. Right now, there are not enough of them.
Both panels were moderated by Dr Riina Palu, who kept the conversation practical, open and focused on what can actually change.
Inside the MARTE laboratories
In the afternoon, participants visited the laboratories of the Marine Technology Competence Centre (MARTE), where they were introduced to the wave simulator, 3D printing and the research behind the next generation of maritime technology.
Thank you
WISTA Estonia thanks everyone who joined, contributed to the discussions and made the day what it was. Special thanks to Merit Kindsigo, Director of TalTech Kuressaare College and CEO of the TalTech Smart Sea Centre of Excellence, for making the seminar possible; to TalTech Kuressaare College; to our speakers and guests; to Elpi Petraki and Céline Mortier for travelling to Estonia; and to our corporate member DNV Estonia Business Assurance.
The talent shortage is real. So is our responsibility for what comes next.
Next stop: WISTA International AGM & Conference, Kuala Lumpur, 28–30 October 2026. If the future of maritime talent matters to you, join us there.