EDITORIAL

The Big bang theory

Finnish Marine Cluster is back with a bang. In 2017, the industry reached a turnover of EUR 13.6 billion, showing an increase of 3.6 % to the previous year. The figures are robust in comparison to the “Death Valley” of 2007 and 2009–2010, when the turnover was EUR 10.5 billion. During this decade, however, 2,000+ companies of the marine cluster have really stepped up their game.

There’s no big secret behind the comeback. As the Turku shipyard was acquired by the German Meyer family, a new age of development began at the shipyard. Meyer Turku has made a name for itself as an innovation leader in the high-end shipbuilding, with all the top cruise brands flocking to place their orders. Serving in the role of the “master coordinator”, the shipyard relies in its trusted network to deliver the goods.

Another comeback has been witnessed at the Rauma shipyard where Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) secured its biggest order to date in March 2019.

Rauma Marine Constructions is building a new shuttle ferry for AS Tallink Grupp to service the Helsinki–Tallinn route. The design of the vessel will begin this spring, with the expected delivery of the vessel in early 2022. The price tag for the ferry is around EUR 250 million and the project will provide over 1,500 man-years of employment for the shipyard.

According to RMC, the vessel will utilise the newest technology and innovative solutions, with the aim of building the most environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient vessel possible. This includes machines that will run on a dual fuel and option for a battery solution, with the main source of fuel being low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The transition towards LNG is one example of the “green wave” sweeping the industry. In fact, major Finnish maritime players – such as Meyer Turku, ABB and Wärtsilä – have joined the Finnish Marine Industries’ ResponSea initiative in order to create a more sustainable maritime sector.

The ResponSea initiative focuses on reducing the environmental impact of shipping and shipbuilding, boosting continuous development of the industry’s companies as fair employers, monitoring the sustainability of the delivery chain and enhancing circular economy and lifecycle efficiency in all actions.

Finnish marine industry already has a pretty good track record with regards to these issues – but this doesn’t mean that there’s no room left for improvement. “Sustainability of the seas” needs her champions.