Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2003)

NorShipping 2003 well as Aker Finnyards. Kvaerner Masa-

Yards needs no introduction, as the com- pany is a prolific builder of some of the world's most outstanding cruise ships, and has been profiled in these pages on many occasions. The company recently signed a $329 million deal with Color

Line AS, the largest ferry operator in

Norway, for the construction of a 74,600-gt, 2,800-passenger cruise ferry.

To be classed by DNV. the 735 x 115 ft. (224 x 35 m) ship is scheduled for deliv- ery in December 2004, and was a much- needed boost for the yard. While

Kjelstad admits that the cruise market is a bit depressed at the moment, he is quick to remind that a cruise ship has not been ordered in about 18 months — since September 11, 2001— which could indicate that once ordering resumes, it could do so in earnest.

Kjelstad said the there are no firm acquisition offers on the table now, but if the company were to expand again, it would possibly cast its eyes to the Far

East, where it currently has no presence.

Home Field Advantage

While the company is busy expanding around the globe, it is not forgetting its roots, and is in the midst of many yard improvement projects in Norway that are designed to enhance efficiency and output.

For example, an approximate $20 mil- lion is being invested in Langsten ship- yard, primarily in the form of a new cov- ered building facility, capable of accom- modating two supply vessels inside and one for final outfitting. It is scheduled to be complete in June 2003. Langsten cur- rently employs 420 and has a capacity up to 30,000 dwt.

The company is due any day to announce its plan for Tangen Werft, as it is working with local officials and unions to determine the future course of profitability.

Kronodoc Oy and

ShipyardXchange AS (SYX) Join Forces

Kronodoc Oy and ShipyardXchange have collaborated to create a project solution for the shipbuilding industry, which includes developing a prototype, conducting a pilot, and developing a project collaboration portal to comple- ment the current SYX offering to the marine industry.

The portal will be based on

Kronodoc's technology and collabora- tion functionality. A pilot team com- prised of Langsten shipyard (Norway),

Skipsteknisk ship design consultants (Norway) and Braila shipyard (Romania) has tested Kronodoc in an actual project since November 2002. In this pilot, Kronodoc is used to support the exchange and approval of design drawings between Braila (supplying the hull); Langsten (outfitting the ship); and

Skipsteknisk (responsible for the design).

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Tribon Solutions releases

Tribon.com 6.0

Tribon.com recently released its newest version, 6.0. for easier attain- ment of information. The new layout presents the relevant product informa- tion in a clear and user-friendly overview on the screen making it easy for ship designers to search and find suppliers' product information. Some of the new features are: a new presentation

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