EDITORIAL

Shipyards show range

Finnish shipyards are currently in fine form. Encouraged by the success of robust and innovative Meyer Turku, also the shipyards in Helsinki and Rauma are solid and versatile performers. It was reported in May 2018 that Meyer Turku made a third profitable year in a row in 2017. With a net profit of EUR 32,2 million, the shipyard symbolises the current rebirth of the Finnish maritime. The revenue of the Meyer Turku Oy was EUR 807,7 million in 2017 compared to 2016’s EUR 787,5 million.

According to the company, the profit is used to finance the ongoing € 200 million investment programme of Turku shipyard. The investments include, for example, a new 1 200-ton goliath crane, a steel pre-treatment and storage facility and several large-scale IT system investments. Meyer Turku believes that the investments are “urgently needed” to replace the aging machines, providing also opportunities to realise higher levels of capacity and productivity.

In addition, the shipyard has been actively recruiting new personnel, head count growing from 1 614 (end of 2016) to 1 854 by the end of the year 2017. Meyer Turku made 296 recruitments during 2017.

Furthermore, Meyer Turku delivered two ships in 2017 – marking the first “double delivery” in decades. First, in January the shipyard delivered the LNG-powered fast ferry Megastar to Tallink, and later, in May, the fourth vessel of a series, Mein Schiff 6, for German TUI Cruises.

CEO Jan Meyer has commented that the strong performance gives the shipyard a real chance to prepare for the coming years and face the growing international competition head-on. Profits are used to rebuild the Turku shipyard into a “modern ship assembly factory” and to further train and expand the company’s team of ship builders in Turku, Meyer outlined the agenda in May.

Another Finnish shipbuilding company, Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), is currently busy putting the finishing touches to its first newbuilding order: a car and passenger ferry for Danish shipping company, Molslinjen. The 158-meter ferry will be delivered to Molslinjen by the end of June.

The third major shipyard, the Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, has made a name for itself by building high-performance icebreakers. During 2014–2018, the shipyard has built four multifunctional icebreakers for the SCF-Group. Building these highly innovative ships engaged approximately 3 500 man-years for the shipyard and its subsidiaries.

The fourth of these vessels, Evgeny Primakov, was delivered to the client at the end of January, 2018.