Hamburg, Germany - 1 September 2026 - Closelink has announced the next stage in the evolution of its procurement platform, expanding beyond marine lubricants with a new marine consumables extension covering paint, chemicals and gases.
Today, Closelink supports leading shipping companies with procurement intelligence, supplier collaboration, contract management, inventory visibility and purchasing workflows designed to improve planning, reduce manual work and give procurement teams greater visibility and control.
The first rollout will support procurement across all three new categories. Marine chemicals will be the initial focus for deeper category-specific functionality, while paint and gases will be supported through a more controlled procurement workflow from requisition to order, including supplier communication. Closelink plans to go-live with its capabilities across all three categories from Q1 2027 onwards.
Procurement challenges extend far beyond lubricants
Procurement teams manage growing complexity across vessels, suppliers, ports and product categories, while supplier communication, contract data, inventory information and purchasing workflows often remain fragmented across disconnected systems, emails and spreadsheets.
Closelink's platform extension beyond marine lubricant will allow customers to manage a broader range of technical and operational consumables within the procurement environment they already use. It is built around the same vessel-centric logic that has shaped Closelink's lubricant platform, linking procurement to vessel demand, supplier availability, port calls, contracts, inventory and category-specific requirements.
Closelink is already integrated with leading ERP, procurement, performance and voyage management systems, enabling data exchange without creating additional manual work. Where direct supplier integrations are in place, supplier data, workflows and communication can also be connected more closely with customers' individual purchasing processes.
"Our ambition is not to become another marketplace or generic procurement platform," said Philippe Lavarde, CEO of Closelink. "Our ambition is to give procurement teams greater visibility and control across leading marine consumables. By bringing procurement data, supplier communication and category-specific workflows together, teams can make better decisions, reduce manual work and manage supply more effectively."
Built on a proven platform
The expansion builds on an established platform already trusted by leading shipping companies including Marlow Ship Management, BW LPG, Wilhelmsen, and Borealis.
BW LPG cut lubricant spend by 8% in its first year using Closelink, demonstrating the commercial value of greater procurement visibility, contract intelligence and purchasing control in one connected process.
Closelink is now applying the same approach to paint, chemicals and gases, enabling procurement teams to manage a broader share of operational purchasing through the platform. For suppliers, this creates a better structured, digital communication with customers in contrast to fragmented email-based exchanges.
In addition, with its modern and structured system architecture, Closelink is well positioned to provide customers fast and effective access to AI-supported improvements across their procurement processes. As the platform now expands beyond lubricants, these capabilities can be applied across a broader range of consumable categories.
Looking ahead
The expansion marks the next stage of Closelink's long-term vision to help shipping companies manage a broader share of maritime procurement through a single, fully integrated procurement platform.
Closelink will officially unveil its marine consumables extension during SMM Hamburg 2026, covering paint, chemicals and gases. Visitors will be able to see the initial procurement workflows in action and learn more about the company's roadmap for deeper category-specific capabilities across marine consumables.
"Marine lubricants remain our foundation and an important part of our product strategy," adds Lavarde. "At the same time, our customers have made it clear that the same level of transparency, structure and integration is needed across other consumable categories. This expansion is a natural next step for Closelink and for the way maritime procurement is evolving."
About Closelink
Closelink is a procurement platform built specifically for the maritime industry. It helps shipping companies improve procurement by connecting suppliers, contracts, inventory, purchasing workflows and operational data in one place.
Initially developed for marine lubricants, Closelink is now expanding into leading marine consumables, including paint, chemicals and gases, helping procurement teams manage a broader share of operational purchasing through one platform.
For more information, visit www.closelink.com.
