Past Event
FACT FINDING MISSION AKER FINNYARDS
June 1 and 2, 2006
Turku, Finland
www.akerfinnyards.com
www.niteam.com
A selected number of Austrian suppliers to the cruise ship industry has actively participated in a fact finding mission to Aker Finnyards and Naval Interior Team in Turku, Finland, accompanied by the journalist Erich Gerbl, Wirtschaftsblatt from the leading Austrian newspaper for economics and finance.
Aker Finnyards is a specialist in post Panama-size cruise liners and one of the 15 shipyards of the international Aker Shipbuilding Group. The Norway headquartered group has been enjoying an all time high order backlog in the first quarter of 2006. The order intake in the first quarter was NOK 14.3 billion, of which Cruise & Ferries and Offshore contributed the major part. The Genesis vessel ordered by Royal Caribbean represented more than half the intake.
The yards in Helsinki, Rauma and Turku enjoy a good capacity utilization. Construction of the three Freedom class vessels - world's largest cruise liners when delivered - is progressing according to plan. The first vessel Freedom of the Seas NB 1352 was delivered on April 24 2006 and construction work for Liberty of the Seas NB 1353 is well under way. The Austrian visitors were given a very impressive tour around Liberty of the Seas conducted by Ari Rajamaeki.
Aker Finnyards are to build the world's largest cruise ship ever ordered in Turku - a 220.000 grt leviathan - under a contract recently awarded by Royal Caribbean International. Valued at some EUR 900 million it is also the most valuable ship in the history of commercial shipbuilding. Delivery is scheduled for autumn 2009.
The finalisation of the Aker Yards - Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique merger was concluded the same day when the Austrian delegation was visiting the Turku shipyard. A new company with the name Aker Yards S.A. has been established to which Chantiers de l'Atlantique will transfer its employees,assets and cruise ship contracts.
A series of company and product presentations at the Turku shipyard and NIT Naval Interior Team - perfectly organised by the Austrian Trade Delegation in Helsinki - will certainly contribute to an improvement of the business relations between the world's largest shipbuilder of cruise ships and the highly specialised companies from landlocked Austria.
Kari Virtanen, Aker Finnyards
Johannes Brunner, Austrian Trade Delegation Helsinki
Johannes Brunner, Austrian Trade Delegation Helsinki
Johannes Kuehmayer, AMEM
Bettina Weiss, Essl
Sanna Penkkala, Aker Finnyards
Helga Grausam, Baumann
Rudolf Fuerholzer, Essl
Martin Leis, Thermarium
Helga Grausam, Baumann
Pirkko IIola, Aker Finnyards
Martin Uhlig, bst
Pekka Jussila, Aker Finnyards
Juhani Salminen
Jari Paasonen, Aker Finnyards
Mark Westermayer, Isover St. Gobin
Mikko Ilus, Aker Finnyards
Erich Gerbl, Wirtschaftsblatt
Dagmar Hoeckner, Secu Tech
Karl Baumgart, Steyr Motors
Bettina Weiss, Essl
Erich Gerbl, Wirtschaftsblatt
Karl Baumgart, Steyr Motors
Helga Grausam, Baumann
Rudolf Fürholzer, Essl
Martin Leis, Thermarium
Hedi von Hertzen, Austrian Trade Delegation Helsinki
Johannes Brunner, Austrian Trade Delegation Helsinki
Martin Uhlig, bst
Helga Grausam, Baumann
Dagmar Hoeckner, Secu Tech
Erich Gerbl, Wirtschaftsblatt
Bettina Weiss, Essl
Rudolf Fuerholzer, Essl
Johannes Brunner, Austrian Trade Delegation Helsinki
Liberty of the Seas
Liberty of the Seas
Naval Interior Team
Martin Uhlig, bst
Jari Suominen, NIT
Helga Grausam, Baumann
Laurence Leino, NIT
Bettina Weiss, Essl
Johannes Brunner, Austrian Trade Delegation Helsinki
Rudolf Fuerholzer, Essl
Naval Interior Team
Helga Grausam, Baumann
Martin Uhlig, bst
Johannes Brunner, Austrian Trade Delegation Helsinki
Martin Leis, Thermarium
Rudolf Fuerholzer, Essl
Bettina Weiss, Essl