World's second-largest ship registry opens office in Cork
Cork city is set to become the newest location for offices of the world's second largest ship registry.
International Registries Incorporated (IRI) - which administers the Republic of the Marshall Islands Registry (RMIR) - has chosen Cork as the site of its 29th international office.
The RMIR ships 227 million gross tons across 6,819 vessels, making it second only to the Liberian Registry in terms of capacity.
The announcement was made at the Irish Maritime Commerce Forum in Dublin, on Wednesday 29 October. The forum was addressed by Minister for State Seán Canney and brought together leaders from across the maritime sector to discuss the future of maritime commerce in Ireland and the opportunities to strengthen Ireland's position as a leading international maritime hub.
Cork joins a network of IRI offices across the world's most significant shipping and financial centres, including London, New York, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Singapore, Geneva, Tokyo, Dubai, and Piraeus.
The Cork office will serve as IRI's base for Irish customers - including those already registered under the Republic of the Marshall Islands' flag. The office will be led by Conor Mowlds, IRI's Senior Maritime Representative for Ireland. Mowlds has over two decades of experience spanning a career at sea, maritime education, and port management.
He said that IRI's choice of Cork was based on the belief that the city can become one of Europe's leading maritime centres.
"Beyond serving our existing clients, we want to be part of building something bigger - actively contributing to the policy environment and the commercial ecosystem that will make Cork Ireland's maritime capital in name and in fact.
"When the world's second-largest ship registry opens its doors in your city, it sends a clear signal to the international maritime community that Ireland means business," he said.
IRI has also been an active participant in the Cork Futures Group. The group was established in April this year by the Government to guide the development of Cork city. IRI has worked within the group to make Cork's status as Ireland's maritime capital a matter of government policy.
Chief Executive of Cork City Council Valerie O'Sullivan said: "IRI has been a valued and constructive contributor to the Cork Futures Group, and their decision to establish a permanent presence here is a strong and tangible sign of confidence in Cork's strategic future as Ireland's maritime capital.
"The arrival of the world's second-largest ship registry in our city is exactly the kind of international investment that helps build the critical mass needed to develop a world-class maritime commerce cluster," she said.
Minister of State with responsibility for Ports Seán Canney TD said: "When the world's largest ship registry chooses Cork, that is not a coincidence, that is a consequence. It is the consequence of years of deliberate, strategic work by the maritime sector, by Cork, and by this Government to make Ireland a serious player on the international maritime stage.
"IRI's decision to plant its flag here is a landmark moment for Irish maritime commerce, and it is one that I believe will bring further international investment and recognition in its wake. Cork has long had the talent, the infrastructure, and the ambition. Now it has the world's attention," he said.