The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO)

What The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) does

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) is Ireland's national dedicated development, promotional and marketing agency for the shipping services sector. It operates as part of the Marine Institute under the Department of Transport, with an 8-person team headquartered at Three Park Place, Upper Hatch Street, Dublin 2. IMDO delivers four core service lines: Policy and Advice (National Ports Policy, maritime legislation, EU funding guidance, shipping routes), Business Development (including the Marine Ireland Industry Network), Offshore Renewable Energy development, and Maritime Training and Education facilitation. The agency produces a portfolio of publications including the annual Irish Maritime Transport Economist, the quarterly Unitised Traffic Report covering RoRo and LoLo cargo volumes, and National Sector Reports on ports, ocean economy, and offshore wind industrial strategy.

IMDO has no proprietary technology products and generates no direct commercial revenue. It is funded through the Marine Institute as a government state agency and provides all services to the Irish maritime sector at no direct charge. The organisation functions as a policy advisor, industry convener, and EU funding facilitator, having helped secure over €112m in EU CEF Transport funding for Irish port infrastructure. It maintains strategic partnerships with the Marine Institute, Department of Transport, Enterprise Ireland, Skillnet Ireland, NMCI, the European Commission (DG MARE), and various EU port consortia. Major recent initiatives include co-hosting European Maritime Day 2025, the UK-Ireland Green Shipping Corridors research programme (€1m co-funded), and the NMCI Offshore Wind Marine Bridging Certification Programme to reskill maritime workers for the offshore wind sector.

Name

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO)

Legal name

Irish Maritime Development Office

Website

https://imdo.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMDO is Ireland's national government development agency for the shipping services sector, providing policy advice, business development support, offshore renewable energy promotion, and maritime training facilitation to Irish ports, shipping operators, and maritime stakeholders, operating within the Marine Institute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Development Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

Keywords

• Maritime development services
• Shipping sector promotion
• Port policy advisory
• Maritime industry publications
• Maritime training support

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As Ireland's national maritime development agency, the IMDO operates as a government body funded through state budgets. The organization provides services to the maritime industry including policy advice, business development support, industry publications, and training/education facilitation at no direct charge to beneficiaries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The IMDO is Ireland's national dedicated development, promotional and marketing agency for the shipping services sector, operating as a government state body under the Marine Institute. It delivers policy and advisory services, business development support, offshore renewable energy facilitation, and maritime training and education coordination. It also produces industry publications such as the Irish Maritime Transport Economist and quarterly Unitised Traffic Reports.

Product overview

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) operates as Ireland's national dedicated development, promotional and marketing agency for the shipping services sector, functioning as a non-commercial government body within the Marine Institute. Rather than offering a unified software product, IMDO provides a portfolio of advisory, promotional, and research services including Policy and Advice Services, Business Development Services, Offshore Renewable Energy Services, and Maritime Training and Education Services. The organization produces regular publications including the Irish Maritime Transport Economist (annual), Unitised Traffic Reports (quarterly), and various National Sector Reports that track maritime industry performance and inform policy decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy and Advice Services Government advisory services covering National Ports Policy, Maritime Legislation, EU Funding Policy and Advice, Shipping Routes, and Irish Ports coordination, provided to maritime industry stakeholders.
• Business Development Services Supports pro-business economy initiatives and manages the Marine Ireland Industry Network (MIIN) to connect maritime businesses and facilitate inter-company engagement.
• Offshore Renewable Energy Services Development and promotional services for Ireland's offshore renewable energy sector, supporting ORE infrastructure development, port capabilities for offshore wind, and regulatory framework advancement.
• Maritime Training and Education Services Career guidance for maritime professions and seafarer certification support delivered in collaboration with training institutions such as the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI).
• Irish Maritime Transport Economist (IMTE) Annual publication providing comprehensive analysis of maritime transport economics in Ireland, including trade statistics and industry trends, targeted at industry stakeholders and policymakers.
• IMDO Unitised Traffic Report Quarterly statistical report tracking Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) and Lift-on/Lift-off (LoLo) cargo volumes at Irish ports, providing market intelligence to maritime stakeholders.
• National Sector Reports Collection of national maritime policy documents including Ireland's Ocean Economy Report, Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, and marine spatial planning reports.
• National Port Sector Reports Reports on port operations including the Code of Practice for Health and Safety in Dock Work and Competition in the Irish Ports Sector analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• €112m+ in EU CEF Transport funding secured for Irish port infrastructure projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Marine InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IMDO operates as part of the Marine Institute. Liam Lacey serves as Director of IMDO, and the organization collaborates on joint initiatives including the UK-Ireland Green Shipping Corridors research call co-funded by the Marine Institute and UK Department of Transport.
• Department of TransportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IMDO provides policy advice and support to the Department of Transport on maritime affairs, including participation in National Ports Policy review and EU funding coordination.
• Skillnet Ireland - CILT Mobility & Supply Chain SkillnetmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership delivering the NMCI Master of Science (MSc) in Maritime Operations to support leadership development for Ireland's maritime industry sustainable future.
• Skillnet Ireland - Green Tech SkillnetmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering the NMCI Offshore Wind Marine Bridging Certification Programme to reskill fishing and maritime workforce for opportunities in the offshore wind energy sector.
• Enterprise IrelandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise Ireland supports the Marine Ireland Industry Network (MIIN) and hosts Offshore Wind Forum events in collaboration with IMDO.
• EALING Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEALING (European flagship Action for coLd ironING ports) is a 36-month Connecting Europe Facility project. IMDO represented Irish ports, working with 16 EU maritime ports across Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Atlantic Sea basins to develop harmonized framework for onshore power supply (OPS) implementation.
• Innovate UKmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint UK-Ireland Green Shipping Corridors initiative with co-funding of €1m from Marine Institute and UK Department of Transport, administered through IMDO and Innovate UK to advance feasibility studies for green shipping corridors across the Irish Sea.
• National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMCI and SeaBot Maritime signed MOU for maritime workforce skills enhancement. IMDO sponsors NMCI Seafarers' Conference. Dr. Edel O'Connor from IMDO speaks on maritime development potential, training, education, and ports.
• SeaBot Maritime (Ireland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaBot Maritime and NMCI signed MOU to integrate complex systems with specialized skills for maritime workforce, positioning Ireland as a global leader in advanced maritime training for USV operations. Course delivery scheduled for Q1 2025.
• Marine Ireland Industry Network (MIIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIIN is a key collaboration resource for Irish companies in the Marine sector, facilitated by IMDO. Supported by Enterprise Ireland and Marine Institute, it provides inter-company engagement and external buyer access to Irish Marine industry capability.
• European Commission (DG MARE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organiser of European Maritime Day 2025 with Government of Ireland, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, and Cork City Council. IMDO participates in TEN-T and Connecting Europe Facility programs.
• Irish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMDO operates under government mandate as Ireland's national dedicated development agency for shipping services. Hosted European Maritime Day 2025 announcement by Minister Eamon Ryan.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Department of Transport (Ireland): The Irish Department of Transport is IMDO's primary government partner and policy counterpart. While not a peer agency, it is the direct upstream policy body to which IMDO provides advice and through which maritime legislation is enacted.

Direct peers

• Marine Institute (Ireland): IMDO's parent organization, the Marine Institute is Ireland's state agency for marine research and innovation. Functions as the immediate upstream entity hosting IMDO, sharing overlapping policy and industry liaison scope.
• Transport Malta: Malta's integrated transport and maritime authority combining regulatory and promotional functions for a small island economy. Comparable structural role in coordinating maritime policy, port development, and shipping sector support.
• Cluster Maritime Français: Cluster Maritime Français is the French national maritime industry association coordinating policy, training, and promotion. Comparable to IMDO as a sector-wide convening and development body with similar European maritime economy context.
• Danish Maritime Authority: Denmark's national maritime authority performing policy, registration, and development functions similar to IMDO's Irish remit. Both serve small, highly trade-dependent economies with strong maritime clusters.
• Maritime New Zealand: Maritime New Zealand performs combined regulatory and promotional functions for New Zealand's maritime sector, mirroring IMDO's national development agency role. Comparable in serving a geographically isolated, trade-dependent island economy.
• Maritime UK: Maritime UK is the UK's equivalent industry body promoting the British maritime sector, comparable to IMDO's role as Ireland's national development and promotional agency for shipping services. Both coordinate cross-cutting policy, training, and stakeholder engagement for their national maritime cluster.
• Norwegian Maritime Authority: Norway's national maritime regulator and promoter, paralleling IMDO's mandate on policy advice, EU/IMO compliance guidance, and sector development support for shipping services. Comparable scope in promoting national maritime interests internationally.

Broad incumbents

• European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA): EMSA is the EU-wide maritime safety and compliance agency, of which IMDO is a partner and local implementation node. Comparable in serving maritime policy objectives, but at a pan-European rather than national scale.
• Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA): MPA is the global benchmark for a national maritime and port authority combining regulation, promotion, and development. Comparable mandate to IMDO but at vastly greater scale and with global commercial reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMDOIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-maritime-development-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO)