Tillberg Design of Sweden and COLUMBIA blue Launch Ship Design Partnership

June 23, 2021

Maritime leisure management company COLUMBIA blue – The Leisure Group said it has teamed up with cruise and yacht interior designer Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS) to work together on conceptualizing and building vessels from scratch.

“The design skills of TDoS and the operational proficiency of COLUMBIA blue form a unique set of expertise, offering a seamless and complete project lifecycle of a vessel design – from the first lines on the sketch board, to the actual operations of the yacht or cruise vessel,” said Julia Siebert, COLUMBIA blue’s Vice President of Business Development.

The partnership will make the creative process more efficient and cost-effective for clients, by merging the initial design and operational verification phases of the ship development cycle, the partners said.

In the planning stage, TDoS will “design efficient ships and yachts with the smoothest and smartest flows to offer an extraordinary guest experience and best work environment for all crew”, Madelene Hall, CEO of TDoS, explained.

Meanwhile, COLUMBIA blue said its role is to minimize the ongoing operational costs of the propulsion, hull design and power supply, while making them sustainable, and to optimize the ship’s technical and hotel service back-of-house areas.

The companies have already worked on an initial vessel design project, which saw TDoS's expertise in design and materials complement the operational know-how of COLUMBIA blue.

“We will conduct in-depth research among the COLUMBIA onboard employees to identify necessities, priorities, wishes and trends for crew accommodation and leisure spaces on new buildings. Paired with our design expertise, we will be able to offer our clientele unique solutions in the future,” TDoS’ Hall said.

COLUMBIA blue’s Siebert added, “The key to successful onboard operations is a satisfied crew, today and in future. With our collaboration, we want to be one of the driving forces in the market to increase the onboard experience of our employees.”