Germany has awarded the shipping and shipbuilding industries a €1bn ($1.12bn) stimulus package as part of measures to revive the country's pandemic stricken economy.

The shipping and shipbuilding sectors will be able to access the funding in 2020 and 2021.

They are expected to use the cash-injection to "strengthen, modernise and digitise" the maritime sector.

The measures were announced by Germany's coalition of centre-right and centre-left parties as part of a €130bn package of measures to boost the green sectors of the economy.