seatec - Finnish marine technology review 1/2007 | Page 32

MANAGING DIRECTOR YRJÖ JULIN: Finnish maritime cluster is part of the Aker Yards network ”In broad scale, the maritime cluster employs 47.000 people in Finland, and its financial value to our country is 11 billion euros. In national economy, its influence is greater than that of the paper industry”, said Yrjö Julin, the managing director of Aker Yards’ Cruise & Ferries business area. A biggest deal in the company’s history on July 9th, 2006. The deal was to provide two large cruise ships to the NCL shipping company. After making the deal, Aker Yards has built, or is currently building, fourteen of the largest cruise ships in the world. ”It was great that the cooperation between the Finnish and the French made the NCL deal a reality.” ”When a company has gotten involved with network economy, the NCL DEAL EMERGED AS A RESULT OF COOPERATION Julin speaks with warmth about cooperating with the French. Aker Yards made the 30 seatec 2007 starting point is to provide work to all parties in the network. The network must also expand. The role of employees on temporary assignments is a good example of the importance of a well-working network, as well as the significance of all of its parts. Corrections to the taxation of employees on temporary assignments have made the functions of the whole maritime cluster more difficult. Strikes relating to taxation mix-ups have cost more money than correction officers have paid Photo: Risto Valkeapää ker Yards´ Cruise & Ferries business area includes five shipyards: The French yards are located in Saint Nazaire and Lorient, and the Finnish ones in Turku, Rauma, and Helsinki. The number of Aker Yards’ permanent employees in Finland amounts to ca. 3.800 people. In accordance with the company’s ”assembly yard” concept, a big proportion of the personnel is also employed in joint ventures. The employment created outside shipyards is manifold in comparison to the company’s own personnel. ”One of the main goals of Aker Yards is to create trusting relationships with suppliers and business partners. In addition, the new arrangements make it possible for the maritime industry networks to create new contacts in France, Finland, and other parts of Europe”, Julin continues. Julin’s motto is that the best way to predict the future is to create it. ”We will surely provide several new innovations – especially now, as we seem to have the best