Building ships is one of mankind’s oldest technologies. Indeed, ancient Greek, Egyptian and Phoenician civilisations made use of ships and boats to trade and move about. As such, it’s safe to say that shipbuilding existed for thousands of years, as people have used boats to explore, fight, fish and travel. Over time, shipbuilding technology has evolved to make water travel faster and easier.

1. Brief History of
Shipbuilding

2. It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly the first boat was made. Historians opine that
bundles of reed and fallen logs were the first vessels used to keep people afloat on
water. Later on, civilisations evolved these materials to make rafts, with the Egyptians
among the first to make long, narrow boats out of papyrus reeds. These are based
on depictions from Egyptian artefacts that date as far back as 6,000 years ago,
which show people paddling on the water.
The Greeks and Phoenicians took it up a notch between 1200 and 900 BC, primarily
by building galleys that could help with trade and fighting. Rowers ensured the galleys
could move, and for the Phoenicians, these vessels enabled long-distance journeys.
Galleys were still in use by the 18th century, mostly for battle purposes.
Before the pandemic East Asian countries dominated the cargo shipbuilding industry,
with their European counterparts opting to focus on building passenger ships. This
strategy worked until 2020 when passenger travel was disrupted and demand for
these vessels reduced. On the other hand, East Asian ship producers found it hard in
early 2021 to keep up with the demand for cargo ships.
The First Vessels
Impact of the Pandemic on Shipbuilding
Building ships is one of mankind’s oldest technologies. Indeed, ancient Greek, Egyptian
and Phoenician civilisations made use of ships and boats to trade and move about.
As such, it’s safe to say that shipbuilding existed for thousands of years, as people
have used boats to explore, fight, fish and travel. Over time, shipbuilding technology
has evolved to make water travel faster and easier.

3. According to information about the global shipbuilding industry provided by Statista:
The largest shipbuilding nations in the world
are China, South Korea and Japan
In 2021, 49% of all shipbuilding
orders were handled by China
Bangladesh, India and Pakistan lead
the list of countries that account for
more than 70% of global ship scrapping
The Global Shipbuilding Industry

4. Victor
Olerskiy
To learn more about this
topic,visit the blog of
Victor Olerskiy.