Rolls-Royce Power Systems has moved into its new offices in Hamburg and marked the occasion with a maritime New Year’s kick-off event. Around 80 guests from the industry accepted the invitation.
Lukas Köhler, Senior Vice President Sales & Service Germany, welcomed the guests and also used the event to officially inaugurate the new office. In his speech, he placed the evening in a wider geopolitical and economic context. The world is currently experiencing rapid change, he said, with important cornerstones of the rules-based order being shaken or having already fallen. “It is therefore up to us to change outdated ways of thinking and face up to the new realities,” said Köhler.
Against this backdrop, he posed the question of the role of the maritime industry in Germany: what contribution can and will the industry make in a rapidly changing world? According to Köhler, one thing is clear: the industry must grow. The maritime industry is crisis-tested and used to coping with downturns and insolvencies. However, the ecosystem has shrunk in recent years. Regional importance does not automatically mean national appeal. Now it is time to “shift gears and move into an unfamiliar growth mode”.
This includes setting up new production facilities, qualifying additional suppliers, financing expansion and, above all, attracting the next generation. Pride in every completed ship must be carried more strongly into society. The aim is to arouse enthusiasm for shipbuilding and shipping – and thus attract the welders and engineers of tomorrow.
Rolls-Royce’s maritime course
Using Rolls-Royce as an example, Köhler explained the company’s strategic direction. Three years ago, the company decided on a new strategy and focused on its core competence as a manufacturer of modern drive systems. The maritime sector was defined as one of five strategic pillars.
Accordingly, the company is currently investing millions in the development of the so-called core engine as the successor to the 4000 series. From 2028, this will initially be launched on the market as a series product for data center applications and will also be available for “grey shipping” shortly afterwards.
At the same time, Rolls-Royce is driving forward the use of alternative fuels. The engines have been approved for the use of HVO, and the first prototype of a high-speed methanol engine has also been developed. This is a 16V4000 with an output of 2000 kW, designed as a single-fuel engine with gasoline combustion.
The company is also expanding its activities in the field of ship automation. The NautIQ product range is being continuously developed, flanked by targeted M&A activities such as the purchase of Servowatch and the acquisition of Team Italia.
At the end of his speech, Köhler once again referred to the new offices at Veritaskai. The move was deliberately intended as an impulse to break up structures and thought patterns. The wide view over the port of Hamburg was intended to promote openness to new ideas, facilitate change and encourage people to question the tried and tested. One concrete innovation from this approach is the maritime New Year’s kick-off itself.
