SMTF, Swedish Marine Technology Forum, is approaching 100 member companies and are about to be a part of the research institute RISE. CEO Karina Linnér herself, however is leaving SMTF in February after four and a half years as CEO. We took the opportunity to talk to her before she left.

- The companies we represent are doing very well. They are very skilled and competent and we have just completed a study which shows that our member companies for the last 15 years have had an average annual revenue growth of 7 percent. It is absolutely extraordinary, and they make money too, Karina Linner says.

What challenges do you see ahead?

- The market will not disappear, shipping will increase and according to the governments national maritime strategy, a 430 percent increase is expected until the year 2050. But I’m worried about trade barriers, that’s what I see as the biggest challenge right now. For example, China, being a very important construction market, here we are unsure of how trade with China will work out in the future.

- At the home market, our member companies have very good contact with the Swedish shipowner’s and they help each other with product development. Swedish shipowner´s has a great international reputation and it means a lot for our companies to have any of the talented Swedish shipowners in its reference list. But the large volumes do not take place in Sweden, our companies sell mainly globally to other countries and other shipowners.

SMTF is about to become a part of the governmental research institute RISE in order to continue to develop. Karina Linnér, however, is leaving SMTF in February after four and a half years as CEO.

- All my life I have worked and travelled a lot. I have come to realise that there is so much more I want to do in my life than just work and travel. The travels will continue, but now as holidays. I'll start by taking a few months off and then we’ll see what happens. I’ve registered a consulting firm and we'll see if anyone is interested in my services, Karina Linnér says.