seatec - Finnish marine technology review 1/2015 | Page 4

EDITORIAL 1/2015 THE WINTER IS COMING The Finnish marine cluster has seen its share of ups and downs – and the international competition is especially tough in this industry. Still, the Finnish marine companies have several things going for them that will allow for the cluster to be competitive also in the future. Curiously enough, the rise of the marine industry started as the Finns were trying to deal with winter. Icy conditions have always set high technology and quality demands for Finnish shipping which, in turn, PUBLISHER PubliCo Oy Pälkäneentie 19 A FI-00510 Helsinki Finland Phone +358 20 162 2200 [email protected] www.publico.com has contributed to the emergence of a competitive maritime industry. In addition, the former Soviet regime gave a push to the industry after World War II – the Soviets demanded steel ships as ”retribution” since Finland had EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jussi Sinkko ended up on the losing side of the war. Today, the Finland maritime cluster consists of shipyards, over-all technical suppliers, ship design offices, system, equipment and material PROJECT MANAGER Jaakko Lätti suppliers, as well as the offshore industry. Furthermore, Finnish expertise in the maritime industry meets the environmental demands – quite possibly better than anywhere else in the world. Ecological sustainability, energy- EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Liisa Hyvönen efficiency and low level of emissions are nowadays in a crucial role when developing new technologies in the marine industry. And the evolution is ongoing. For example, the Finnish refining and GRAPHIC DESIGN Riitta Yli-Öyrä marketing company Neste Oil announced in December that it will bring a low-sulphur marine fuel to market in accordance with the new EU Sulphur Directive requirements. The new fuel – already in distribution – significantly reduces sulphur, nitrogen and particle emissions in marine transportation. The fuel is a domestic product, too, as Neste Oil produces the new fuel at its Porvoo and Naantali refineries. CONTRIBUTORS Sami J. Anteroinen Merja Kihl Ari Mononen Jarkko Böhm Also, that original innovative spark of the industry is alive and well. Take Finnish company Marinetek for instance: this manufacturer of marinas and floating solutions is engineering and constructing a 2 600-m floating 2 COVER PHOTO Meyer Turku Oy activity park in British Gibraltar. The giant activity park will include, among other things, two full-sized swimming pools, a children’s pool, a diving pool with a tower, a climbing PRINTED BY PunaMusta Oy wall, a children’s playground, a Parkour park and exercise parks for adults and seniors… and lots more. But why does it have to float? Well, Gibraltar is already fully built-up and the only possibility for expansion is out onto the sea surrounding the Rock. Marinetek came up with a unique solution in a tight spot. Sounds like just another day at the office for Finnish marine cluster. JUSSI SINKKO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF All rights reserved. This publication may not be used in whole or in part to prepare or compile other directories or mailing lists without the written permission of the publisher. Measures have been taken in the preparation of this publication to assist the publisher protect its copyright. Any unauthorized use of the data herein will result in immediate legal proceeding. www.seatec.fi/magazine 2 seatec 1/2015