The Fassmer shipyard, based in the German federal state of Lower Saxony in the country’s northwest, is expanding its activities to the Baltic Sea. The first newbuilding is set to be constructed at the Volkswerft Stralsund shipyard, and additional projects may follow in the future.
The Berne-based Fassmer shipyard is expanding its capacities. In the future, the company will also operate at the Volkswerft Stralsund site — initially with the construction of the fisheries research vessel Walther Herwig.
The shipyard has announced that it has leased the relevant areas and production halls at the Volkswerft site from the city of Stralsund for its newly established location. With this step, Fassmer is expanding its presence on the Baltic Sea. The company is pursuing a strategic expansion, also with a view to strengthening Germany’s maritime industry as a whole. According to Fassmer, it aims to reduce its dependence on foreign supply chains, retain specialist expertise within the country, and contribute to the federal government’s security resilience. For Stralsund, the arrival of Fassmer is expected to create additional employment opportunities, added value, and new regional partnerships.
Volkswerft open to companies
The Volkswerft Stralsund shipyard is currently leased by companies such as Ostseestaal and Strela Shiprepair. In the middle of the year, the city announced that it would also make the site available to companies from outside the region. The Volkswerft offers ideal conditions for steel construction and large-scale projects: several cranes are available in the halls (with capacities of up to 1,000 t), and there is also a 270 m long outfitting quay with a load capacity of 100 t. Assembly Hall 290 measures 300 m in length, 108 m in width and 74 m in height, providing space for several construction and repair projects simultaneously. The new yacht shipyard Astra Nord has also recently opened on the premises.
“With our commitment in Stralsund, we want to expand production capacities, optimize processes, and make a sustainable contribution to the further development of the maritime industry in Germany,” said Fassmer Managing Director Jan Oskar Henkel.
Alexander Badrow, Lord Mayor of Stralsund, called the development “good news before Christmas”: “I am delighted that the high-performance shipbuilder Fassmer has recognized the advantages of this location and has leased the large Hall 290 from the Hanseatic City. A warm welcome to our Volkswerft family!”
The Walther Herwig, which Fassmer will build at the Volkswerft shipyard from 2026 onward, is being constructed on behalf of the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE) and will be used for future fisheries research. The new vessel will replace the existing research ship Walther Herwig III and will meet the latest scientific, technical, and environmental requirements.
