seatec - Finnish marine technology review 1/2009 | Page 18

ermany’s shipbuilding industry closed AN ICON OF INNOVATIVENESS BC Ferries. Apart from well-engineered de- 2008 with a considerable increase 1872-established Flensburger, which is signs and competitive contract prices the of its production. According to data fa- based in the city of Flensburg just few kil- yard offered numerous additional benefits cilitated by the German Shipbuilding and ometres south of the borderline between corresponding to its ‘Total Customer Care’ Ocean Industries Association (VSM) the Germany and Denmark, illustrates how approach. As but one example, Flensburg- output totalled at 1.5 million cgt against key factors such as engineering excellence, er agreed to arrange the delivery voyages a production of 1.2 million cgt in the pre- team spirit and customer orientation can from Germany to Canada as part of the vious year. 88 vessels were delivered, in- result in a lasting success story. Rough- contract – as a result the client received cluding 41 ships built for German own- ly ten years ago, in the late 1990s, the its ships where they are needed, and not ers. Container vessels accounted for the yard started concentrating on RoRo-ship- where the shipyard has built them. For the largest segment with a total of 51 units, ping, delivering its 14,200 tdw “UND Ak- next few years Flensburger will again con- including 38 ships delivered to German deniz” to Turkish owners as the shipyard’s centrate on the construction of RoRo and clients. In the beginning of January Wern- first reference in this segment in 2000. The ConRo ships for various clients, including er Lundt, MD of VSM, commented that ship turned into an instant success for its Cobelfret, UN Ro-Ro, Bore, Seatruck Fer- the shipyards’ accumulated turnover had owner, contributing to several follow-up ries and Ulusoy Sea Lines. But the ship- reached 3.1 billion euros already by the owners from the respective client and to yard – which has one of the proportion