"Cyprus remains the number one shipmanagement centre in the EU. The cluster continues to grow and, at the same time, larger units are forming through mergers and acquisitions," Dieter Rohdenburg, Chief Executive Officer, InterMaritime Shipmanagement Ltd. notes.
Speaking within the framework of the IN Business Forecasting 2026 series of interviews with business leaders, Rohdenburg also shares his thoughts on the development of the local economy in the new year.
Rohdenburg also shares his thoughts on the mergers and acquisitions trend, sharing his own experience with InterMaritime Shipmanagement itself, having been created by the merger of Intership and Interorient.
He, in addition, shares what to expect from the company in the new year.
How do you foresee the development of the Cypriot economy in the new year, and what are its prospects? What do you see as the biggest risks, and how might they be addressed?
Cyprus has been outperforming other EU countries repeatedly over the last year in terms of GDP growth, and this is expected continue. There is a steady influx of foreign companies and nationals taking up work in Cyprus, particularly in Limassol but also in Larnaca and the other cities. Cyprus’ planned accession to the Schengen agreement will no doubt be another boost to the economy.
I see the biggest risks in potential regulatory changes at EU level, the implementation of which may have a negative impact on certain industries operating from Cyprus.
How do you expect your company’s sector in particular to perform in 2026? What major trends or changes do you anticipate, and what do you consider the most significant challenges?
Most sectors of the shipping industry are performing well, and this is expected to continue into this year. The effective re-opening of the Red Sea transit route will probably lead to a correction in the freight rates for some segments, particularly container shipping.
Cyprus remains the number one shipmanagement centre in the EU. The cluster continues to grow and, at the same time, larger units are forming through mergers and acquisitions.
The main challenges for shipping remain the decarbonization of the industry as well as the digitalization, including the use of AI, both onboard and ashore.
A strong trend taking root in the Cypriot business landscape is mergers and acquisitions. Do you expect this trend to become more pronounced in your sector as well?
Shipmanagement lives off economies of scale, hence I am convinced that we will see further mergers in the years to come. Having been one of the initiators of the successful merger of two local shipmanagement companies, Intership and Interorient, I can confirm that there are clear benefits to be had.
What should we expect from your organisation’s plans and strategy for growth and expansion in 2026? What specific actions do you intend to take to support this direction?
InterMaritime, the shipmanagement company created by the merger of Intership and Interorient, is set for growth. As shipping markets become more attractive for investment, we expect to see substantial organic growth from existing clients in 2026. As a company, we are also actively pursuing opportunities for acquisitions and joint ventures in new markets.
The new year has seen the implementation of a tax reform, taking place 22 years after the previous tax reform. How do you expect it to affect the Cypriot economy, businesses, and Cyprus’ ability to attract foreign investment?
The shipping industry is only marginally impacted by the changes to the tax system as we generally operate under the tonnage tax system. Having said this, we welcome the benefits which will become available to individuals as well as the positive changes to the corporate taxation regime.
