The Kiel shipyard Gebr. Friedrich is entering into a strategic partnership with the shipbuilder Marine Alutech from Finland. In future, naval and patrol boats are to be built for the Finns in Germany.
With the cooperation agreement, the two family-run companies want to take “an important step” towards strengthening their market positions, being better positioned together for current and future projects and operating closer to customers in the growing defense sector, according to the statement.
In future, Marine Alutech will be able to produce Watercat patrol and naval boats at a new production site in Kiel. The first agreement covers the assembly of units from the Watercat 2000 series, seven of which are already deployed in the Mediterranean, where they support the operations of the EU border protection agency Frontex.
Marine Alutech is one of the leading companies in the Finnish defense industry. The company specializes in the design, production, maintenance and life-cycle support of government and professional vehicles. According to the statement, the company is currently “in a strong growth phase” and has an order backlog of around €200 million. According to the company, it is also in talks with several NATO countries about new projects. The aim is to increase the workforce to around 500 employees by 2030.
The Kiel-based shipyard Gebrüder Friedrich has been active in shipbuilding for over 100 years . Its core business comprises the repair and maintenance of naval and government vessels. The company is also active in system integration as well as the design and construction of special vessels and customer-specific products in mechanical engineering and steel construction. The shipyard is also involved in innovative research projects such as the autonomous “Wavelab”.
The Gebrüder Friedrich Group also includes an electrical engineering company that is primarily active as a supplier for the maritime defense industry and as a system repairer for the navy.
