Damen Chairman Meets with Romania’s Economy Minister

The chairman and owner of Damen Shipyards Group met with the Romanian Minister of Economy this week to discuss the future of the shipyard jointly operated by the shipbuilding conglomerate and the Romanian government.

The Dutch shipbuilding group became joint venture partners with the Romanian government in July when it acquired Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering's (DSME) share in the Romanian shipyard formerly known as Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries. Damen has taken over operational management of the yard, which has been renamed Damen Shipyards Mangalia.

Damen's chairman Kommer Damen met with Dănuţ Andruşcă at the Romanian Ministry of Economy headquarters to discuss their partnership in the newly acquired shipyard.

According to the shipbuilder, it was stressed that the naval industry is of strategic interest to Romania, and it is expected that the relationship between the Romanian Ministry of Economy and Damen Shipyards Group will allow the country’s shipbuilding industry to develop to its full potential.

“The Mangalia site is very important for the Damen group because it allows them to diversify their range of products, especially with regard to the large-scale shipbuilding with high added value such as cruise ships,” Andruşcă said.

“The most important information I received from Mr. Damen is about the future of the workforce on the site,” he continued, referring to Damen intentions to expand the workforce at the yard to a minimum of 3,000 employees in some years.

“Considering the yard’s current condition, we face a challenging period,” Mr. Damen said. “However, with the continuous full support of the Romanian Government and the commercial opportunities matching our strategic vision, we are confident that the financial health of the yard can be restored and levels of employment increased.”

“In addition to offering improved working conditions to our Romanian workforce, we also discussed improving the social amenities through refurbishing and upgrading the shipyard’s canteen and accommodation facilities,” Mr. Damen said.

“We are grateful for this opportunity to personally thank Mr. Andruşcă for the Ministry’s stamina and perseverance, and the mutually trusting relationships our teams have sustained throughout this process.”