Juha Heikinheimo News

Software solution provider for ship design and operation NAPA Group (Napa Ltd.) has appointed Ilmo Kuutti as its new President. Kuutti assumes the position from Juha Heikinheimo, who served as President of NAPA Group for five and a half years. Kuutti holds a master’s degree in naval architecture from Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. He started his career in shipyards, where he undertook various roles throughout the 1980s. Since joining NAPA in 1991, he has been taken on various leadership positions…

Software and services provider NAPA has announced that Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has implemented NAPA Steel’s 3D model-based ship structural design tool across its business. NAPA Steel provides an interactive 3D structural modelling interface. Once a single flexible model is created for the whole vessel, this can be used throughout the design process, including class society rule checks, creating plan approval drawings, FE (Finite Element) model generation, weight calculation, etc. HHI actively participated in testing and developing NAPA Steel, and has now begun leveraging its potential to enhance productivity in ship structural design. Following the introduction of NAPA Steel, HHI expects the design time and man-hours to be reduced by almost 30% in ship structural design.

Six leaders and influencers from across the shipping industry will join global NGO Carbon War Room’s (CWR’s) Shipping Operation Advisory Board. Their backgrounds span the shipowning, chartering, technical analysis, finance, and academic worlds. The board will lend extensive industry insight and support CWR’s mission to profitably decarbonise the international shipping industry. Galen Hon, Manager, Shipping Operation, Carbon War Room, commented: "Following UNFCCC in Paris, the industry has an obligation to find new and innovative ways to reduce carbon while remaining competitive. With expertise spanning finance, ship operation, classification, data analysis, technology, and software, these individuals are perfectly positioned to identify and evaluate opportunities for innovation and growth.

Six leaders and influencers from across the shipping industry will join global NGO Carbon War Room’s (CWR’s) Shipping Operation Advisory Board. Their backgrounds span the shipowning, chartering, technical analysis, finance, and academic worlds. The board will lend extensive industry insight and support CWR’s mission to profitably decarbonise the international shipping industry. Galen Hon, Manager, Shipping Operation, Carbon War Room, commented: "We are thrilled to have gathered a group with so much knowledge and experience in shipping. Following UNFCCC in Paris, the industry has an obligation to find new and innovative ways to reduce carbon while remaining competitive.

South Korean shipbuilder, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and NAPA, a maritime software, services and data analysis provider, now offer a tailored NAPA-DSME Power solution for LNG carriers built by DSME. According to the developers, the specialist solution aims to ensure transparent and accurate measurement of performance and efficiency aboard LNG carriers, including measurement of boil-off to provide a full 360° view of the operation of these vessels. As a leading shipyard for LNG carriers…

Evergreen Line has commenced installation of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN software on chartered container vessels. At the conclusion of a competitive tender process, ClassNK-NAPA GREEN software - developed by NAPA, global maritime software house and classification society ClassNK - was chosen to provide a total solution for planning, monitoring and optimizing ship operations. Enabling greater understanding of the operation of its chartered fleet to improve efficiency is the key driver behind the adoption of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, the developer said.

Cruise Shipping Miami 2015 is gearing up to offer the most comprehensive and robust roster of panel discussions featuring the industry's most knowledgeable and experienced executives. The panels will be grouped under several broad themes based on industry trends during the four-day conference. The 31st edition of Cruise Shipping Miami is scheduled for March 16-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Organized by UBM Connect, thematic topics include The Geography of Cruise Tourism, Safety and Ship Operations, Market Segments and Cruise Product Development. On Tuesday morning, March 17, the conference will open with the popular State of the Industry session. Participants in that plenary session will be announced in the coming weeks. This program may be subject to alterations and additions.

ClassNK and leading global maritime software company NAPA have announced a new joint project to reduce the time and cost of designing vessels in accordance with the new IACS harmonised Common Structural Rules. The new project will enhance the data linkage between ClassNK’s PrimeShip-HULL(HCSR) design support software with NAPA’s 3D model based integrated design software NAPA Steel greatly improving the efficiency of the ship design process and reducing the cost of designing vessels in accordance with the new rules. Adopted in 2013, the IACS harmonised CSR will be applied to all tankers over 150m and all bulk carriers over 90m contracted after 1 July 2015.

Vessel performance monitoring and optimization solution ClassNK-NAPA GREEN was named the maritime industry’s top IT system by earning the IT Solutions Award at the International Bulk Journal (IBJ) Awards held at the Beurs-World Trade Center in Rotterdam on 17 November. The software solution, developed jointly by leading classification society ClassNK and leading global maritime software company NAPA, was recognized both as an advanced technical achievement and for reductions in fuel costs it has helped achieve and validate on actual vessels in service. Held annually by the International Bulk Journal, the IBJ Awards recognize companies and individuals for their contributions to the bulk cargo sector and wider maritime industry in a variety of categories including environmental protection…

Classification society ClassNK agreed to acquire maritime software house NAPA in a deal that the classification society said aims to improve safety and performance for the whole maritime industry. According to ClassNK, the acquisition will enhance the success and capabilities of both organizations. For ClassNK, which has worked with NAPA for nearly 10 years, the deal is a chance to expand and improve the wide range of services it offers to shipowners and shipyards, whilst also providing NAPA with the support to accelerate expansion of existing operations and access new markets.

Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI), the leading ship design company in China and NAPA, the global leader in maritime software solutions and services for ship design and operations, have agreed to expand their co-operation to cover ship performance monitoring. The enhanced agreement will extend an existing co-operation that includes the application of NAPA software to SDARI’s ship design processes and NAPA’s Loading Computer, which enhances safe operation and maximisation of a vessel’s cargo carriage capacity. Ship performance monitoring has been added to partnership’s scope in response to a shift in focus in the maritime industry from capital expenditure costs to operating costs, amid sustained high bunker prices.

Saving energy on fleet operations is a top line concern for every vessel owner, large and small. 110-year-old Finnish shipowner Bore teamed with NAPA and ClassNK to help identify energy waste on not only its ships operating today, but those planned for tomorrow. As global environmental legislative mandates and rapidly escalating fuel prices cumulatively conspire to drive ship owners to find and eliminate energy waste on commercial marine vessels, there has been a plethora of energy saving solutions from all sectors of the industry.

Shipping company Bore Ltd. to install ClassNK-NAPA GREEN ship efficiency software aboard their 13,625 dwt Ro-Ro vessel 'M/V Bore Song'. This announcement follows on from sea trials last year aboard sister ship M/V Bore Sea which proved that NAPA operational software had led to a 5.8% reduction in fuel consumption. The ClassNK-NAPA GREEN software system is a joint development between Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), the world’s largest ship classification society, and NAPA, the leading software house for ship design and operations. This collaborative software solution for vessel efficiency, launched in 2012, builds upon the shared expertise…

ClassNK joins with NAPA to bring best-in-class SEEMP solution to market; ClassNK expertise combined with NAPA software creates environmental solution to increase eco-efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. ClassNK, the world's largest ship classification society and NAPA, the leading software house for ship design and operations, today announced a collaboration to provide the most comprehensive solution for Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). The collaborative solution builds upon the in-depth understanding of ship performance in practice delivered by two world-leading companies in their respective fields. By sharing their expertise…

Juha Heikinheimo (54) was appointed President of Napa Group (Napa Ltd), a leading provider of software solutions for the maritime industry. The appointment takes effect on September 1, 2011. Mr Heikinheimo assumes the position from Matti Salo, who successfully served as President of Napa Group for eleven years. Mr Salo will continue as President of the subsidiary, Onboard-Napa Ltd. He will focus his attention on customers and boosting the growth of the NAPA for Operations business. Heikinheimo has extensive experience of the shipbuilding industry.

Juha Heikinheimo has resigned from the position as President of STX Finland Oy. He will be replaced by Su-Jou Kim, who currently holds the position as Chairman of STX Finland. Su-Jou Kim will be temporary acting President of STX Finland. Despite significant improvements during the last few months, STX Finland is going through very challenging times - in particular at the Turku shipyard - following the delivery of the "Allure of the Seas" in October 2010. Compared with its high shipbuilding capacity for cruise ships…

STX Finland Oy appointed Juha Heikinheimo as new President of STX Finland Oy. Heikinheimo will replace Martin Landtman. It has been agreed that Mr Landtman steps down from his position with immediate effect. While STX Finland in the last years has built and delivered some of the world’s most magnificent vessels, STX Finland has also experienced low order intake of new vessels, resulting in gradually lower activity level during 2009 and 2010. The Board of Directors of STX Finland therefore believes that it is necessary to make a change in the management. Heikinheimo (53), who will start in his new job immediately, has extensive experience from the shipyard industry and has previously worked for STX Europe’s Cruise & Ferry Business Area in France and Finland for more than four years…

STX Finland Oy and Viking Line ABP have signed a preliminary agreement for the construction of a new generation cruise ferry for Viking Line. The agreement includes an option for a sister ship. The ship price will be about 240 million Euros, and will be built at Turku shipyard for delivery in the beginning of 2013. The new cruise ferry will be designed to be the most environmentally friendly big passenger vessel to date. Even though it has not yet been decided the goal is to use LNG as the fuel. The ship has no marine emissions and its aerial emissions are extremely low.

STX Finland Oy and United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) have formed a joint venture company, which will specialize in arctic shipbuilding technology. An agreement for the formation of the new company, Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy, was signed today in in a meeting with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the Finnish Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi. According to the agreement both founding companies will hold equal shares of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy. The new company will purchase the shipyard from STX Finland. The joint venture will focus on arctic maritime technology and shipbuilding and will unify Russian and Finnish Maritime clusters. It will start building highly specialized vessels such as icebreakers and other icebreaking special vessels.

STX Finland Oy and Viking Line ABP signed an agreement for the construction of an environmentally friendly, new generation cruise ferry for Viking Line. The agreement includes an option for a sister ship. The contract price is about $315m. The ship will be built at shipyard and will be delivered to Viking Line at the beginning of 2013. The  signed agreement represents approximately 2600 man-years employment. The new cruise ferry will be the most environmentally friendly big passenger vessel to date. The vessel uses LNG as  fuel and it has no marine emissions and its aerial emissions are extremely low. The vessel has been specially designed to operate in the delicate and shallow waters of the Finnish and Swedish archipelago. The wave forming and noise generation have been minimised.

The third in the series of the world´s largest cruise vessels for Royal Caribbean was delivered in Aker Yards, Turku. The “Independence of the Seas” has all of the signature elements of her sister ships “Freedom of the Seas” and “Liberty of the Seas”, making the Freedom-class ships the most innovative and forward-looking class of ships in the cruise industry for the time being. The vessel is like a small city with lots of service: many restaurants, theatres, cafés, shopping mall…

Aker Yards has a clear ambition to strengthen the operational focus in the business area Cruise & Ferries in Aker Yards, and has decided to strengthen the management team. The new manager for the yards in Finland, Martin Landtman, will together with the manager for the yards in France and the manager for sales and marketing report directly to the CEO. "We want to make sure that we are a profitable and leading shipbuilder also in the long term. With the new management model for Cruise & Ferries, we are combining the skills of three of the international shipbuilding industry's best top managers. As part of this, we are of course very pleased that Martin Landtman has joined our executive management team", says Svein Sivertsen, chairman of Aker Yards' board of directors.

Aker Yards signed a contract with Tide Sjø AS for three ferries dedicated to operate the link between Oslo and the peninsula of Nesodden. The ferries will be built in France at Aker Yards, Lorient. The total contract price is approximately EUR 45 million. Construction will start in March next year and all three ferries will be delivered in the first half of 2009 and start operating in July 2009. The three ferries will have a capacity of 600 passengers and will be using environmental friendly LNG propulsion, a technology in which Aker Yards has a strong track record. Recently, five LNG-fuelled ferries were delivered for operation on the west coast of Norway.