Wärtsilä, SDARI Join Forces

Wärtsilä's Ship Design unit has entered into a cooperation agreement with Chinese ship design house Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI). SDARI is a part of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation group (CSSC). The agreement was signed in December 2015 and will cover the designs for various types of vessels for the offshore oil and gas industry. There is also the possibility to extend this cooperation to other vessel types as well.

The agreement provides a means for the two companies to combine their strengths in order to provide customers with a better value proposition. The joint collaboration will give customers access to the industry's most extensive ship design portfolio combining both the Wärtsilä and SDARI offerings. The cooperation will also enable the same supplier to manage the interface risk between the basic and detail design, which has traditionally been handled by two separate companies.

Hence, the overall relationship with ship owners and Chinese shipyards will be strengthened through shorter design development times, an in-depth knowledge of all applicable global rules and regulations, and production design capabilities.

"This agreement represents another important milestone in the long and successful relationship between the CSSC group and Wärtsilä, and it provides strong support for Wärtsilä's growth strategy for the Chinese market. By combining the competences and capabilities of the two companies, we will be able to serve ship owners and China's shipyards even better," says Roger Holm, President Marine Solutions & Executive Vice President, Wärtsilä Corporation.

"Wärtsilä has a strong position as a technology and innovative ship design leader, particularly for the offshore and special vessel markets. This agreement will enable us to provide our customers with the world's most efficient and environmentally sustainable ship designs and technologies," says Mr Hu Jintao, President of SDARI.