SEPI Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales

Navantia enters into a partnership with the most important european shipyards in order to reduce production costs

24 April 2006 |

5 of the most important european shipyards take part: DCN, Fincantieri, BAE Systems, VT Shipbuilding LTD. and Navantia

The most important European military shipyards created last week a joint platform which seeks to unify synergies for supplies procurement, in order to reduce costs in shipbuilding. Navantia is part of this group, which has been named WEP (Warship European Procurement), which also includes two British shipyards (BAE Systems and VT Shipbuilding Ltd.), one Italian (Fincantieri) and one French (DCN).

Procurement costs amount to about 60% of the total cost of a military program. Achieving the cooperation among the suppliers, setting up joint technical specifications and coordinating the procurement, the group of shipyards will be able to reduce costs significantly, and at the same time it will manage to achieve for the customer a higher quality level in shipbuilding.

BAE Systems - A British company which provides a comprehensive capacity for shipbuilding, from the initial concept to the delivery. Its activities include the design, supply, project management, building, integration, tests and delivery.DCN - A French company which enjoys an important presence in the European and world markets thanks to its high added-value defense naval systems. As a systems main contractor, builder and integrator, DCN combines the resources and the experience, providing added-value to the entire life cycle of the warship. DCN supplies a wide range of innovative solutions, from fully integrated warships to strategic systems, equipments and services.

Fincantieri - An Italian company, one of the world¿s most important and diversified shipyards. It is the leader in the cruise and big ferries sector, and it also has a long and distinguished tradition in military shipbuilding, having delivered a large number of different kind of ships: surface ships, auxiliary ships, oceanographic ships, submarines... to the Italian Navy, as well as to the Navies of other countries. It provides design, supplies, project management, building, integration, tests and delivery, as well as training and logistic support. Through its Marine Systems Unit, Fincantieri offers to the market on-board systems, integrated packages and equipment units.

VT Shipbuilding - A British company which offers warships and marine products, including small-sized vessels. It is the leader in the export of warships, and a main contractor for the design and building of warships, from frigates, corvettes and patrol-boats to pilot ships and inflatable dinghies. Its sophisticated facilities, located at Portsmouth Naval Base, are regarded as the most modern in all Europe.

Navantia has a shipbuilding tradition which goes back 270 years. It offers design, building, integration and delivery, with the most sophisticated products, such as the F-100 and F-130 frigates, the Strategic Projection Ship, the biggest ship which will be operated by the Spanish Navy. Its main customer is the Spanish Navy, although currently it also manages different programs for countries such as Norway, Chile, Malaysia, India, Venezuela and Australia.