Louis Dreyfus Armateurs turns the tide with creative and cutting-edge maritime solutions
LDA seeks to develop its current Asian foothold and expand into other markets in the region
[Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports www.discoveryreports.com]
Accounting for roughly 90 per cent of world trade, shipping is the engine of the global economy – a dynamic industry fraught with constant changes and challenges. As the world evolves, so too does seaborne trade – supersized ships are built to outsize older models every year and technologies continuously emerge to boost efficiency in ways better than before.
With nearly 170 years of expertise in maritime transport and related services, private French group Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) proves its resilience in an industry subject to the ebbs and swells of a fluctuating world economy.
A trusted global name in logistics innovation, value-added maritime industrial services and dry bulk transport since 1893, the family-owned group plays a leading role in the advancement of the shipping and maritime industry.
From inventing remote vehicles for laying undersea cables, engineering a new kind of ship unmoved by high winds and high seas for Airbus, to designing customised windmill-maintenance ships for Danish utility firm DONG Energy, LDA keeps afloat by keeping an eye ahead on the future.
“Shipping is not only about transportation – shipping will be more about activities at sea, everything from cabling to seismic operations and renewable energy logistics,” says Philippe Louis-Dreyfus, chairman. “We believe that the future will be less in dry bulk transport and more in hi-tech, sophisticated shipping, where we currently do our business.”
Initially and primarily engaged in worldwide dry bulk transport through LD Bulk, its full-fledged subsidiary, LDA has since strategically diversified its business into activities such as port logistics, hi-tech industrial shipping and creative shipping services.
