Page 54: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2026)

TECH FEATURE: GEARS & THRUSTERS

SCHOTTEL technology is found on a broad array of ships and boats globally. Recently it was selected to provide the propulsion package for the new Mersey Ferries passenger ferry Royal Daffodil, of? cially launched in September 2026.

SCHOTTEL

GEARED UP TO

MEET MARITIME’S

PROPULSION NEEDS

Image courtesy Schottel

Schottel builds on 75 years of azimuth propulsion with a sharper focus on electri? cation, digitalization and lifetime support.

By Greg Trauthwein or Schottel, change in the maritime industry is com- dedicated to service. ing from several directions at once. Vessel electri? - Schwandt has watched that transformation from inside cation and decarbonization are reshaping propul- the company.

sion requirements. Control systems are becoming “What has remained the same is Schottel’s pioneering

F more integrated. Arti? cial intelligence and condition moni- spirit, engineering excellence and close relationship with toring are changing how equipment is maintained. At the its customers,” Schwandt said. “We are still family owned, same time, shipowners still demand what they always have: that thinks long term and takes responsibility for its prod- propulsion systems that work, vessels that remain available ucts throughout the entire life cycle.” and service that arrives when and where it is needed. What has changed is scale.

For Roland Schwandt, who took the CEO position at “When I joined Schottel in 2000, we have been roughly

Schottel at the beginning of 2026 after serving as deputy 300 employees and only two or three of our own subsid-

CEO since 2024, navigating those changes comes with the iaries,” he said. “Today, we are 1,200 people and operat- bene? t of perspective. Schwandt joined Schottel in 2000, ing through 16 international subsidiaries providing OEM when the company employed roughly 300 people and op- service around the globe.” erated only a handful of its own international subsidiaries. In Schwandt’s view, Schottel has evolved from a German

Today Schottel Maritime Group employs more than 1,200 engineering company into a global maritime technology people, operates 16 international subsidiaries and has six and service organization without abandoning the engi- repair facilities, with about one quarter of its workforce neering culture that built the business. 54 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • November 2026

MR #11 (50-65).indd 54 MR #11 (50-65).indd 54 11/4/2026 10:13:47 AM11/4/2026 10:13:47 AM