Declaration was signed by (L to R): Tim Meyer, Mika Lintilä and Jason Liberty
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) has signed a maritime declaration with the Finnish authorities, represented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE) and shipbuilder Meyer Turku Oy that goals to chart the best way ahead for revolutionary and sustainable shipbuilding in Finland. The dedication is about to advance innovation, strengthen competitiveness and bolster the maritime trade’s ecosystem.
“Our partners in Finland have helped us deliver some of the world’s most impressive and sustainable ships of their time, including our newest ship debuting in January 2024, Icon of the Seas,” stated Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “This new partnership sets the stage for future innovations and allows us and the maritime industry to continue pursuing sustainability at the highest level.”
“Shipping is undergoing a great transformation, driven by stricter emissions regulation and consumers’ demand for carbon neutrality. Responding to this demand requires new ways to design, build and operate the vessels of the future. The challenge offers significant opportunities for the Finnish maritime industry to lead the way globally and to introduce new technologies and products on the market. The role of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is to facilitate enterprise financing in Finland and to encourage companies to renew and pursue sustainable growth and productivity,” stated Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Mika Lintilä.
The declaration pronounces the next actions:
- Preparing a roadmap for the manufacturing of climate-neutral ships in Finland. The roadmap is a part of the maritime trade’s inexperienced transition.
- Strengthening the innovation of Meyer Turku, Royal Caribbean Group and the maritime trade.
- Supporting networking to curb financial challenges, develop new options and safe the long-term viability of the maritime trade.
- Assembling a digital demonstration of a climate-neutral ship as a part of the sustainable maritime trade improvement program of the Ministry of Labor and Economy.
- Piloting and testing new improvements and applied sciences on Royal Caribbean Group ships.
The partnership additionally advances Royal Caribbean Group’s Destination Net Zero technique to decarbonize its operations by 2050 and its near- and medium-term targets, together with lowering carbon depth by double digits by 2025 in comparison with 2019 and the introduction of a net-zero cruise ship by 2035.
ICON OF THE SEAS FLOAT OUT
The declaration got here on the heels of one other main milestone for Royal Caribbean. On Friday, Dec. 9, its revolutionary, new vessel, Icon of the Seas, reached its subsequent part of building forward of its January 2024 debut. The new ship floated on water for the primary time for the reason that meeting started 9 months in the past at the Meyer Turku shipyard.
“The Finnish maritime ecosystem is built on the innovativeness, expertise and skills of the thousands of leading shipbuilders at Meyer Turku, and Icon of the Seas is the latest example of what can be built here in Finland,” stated Mika Lintilä. “This new declaration will secure a future in which the maritime industry continues to make strides in our decarbonization goals and economic growth priorities for years to come.”
Royal Caribbean additionally has agreements with the shipyard to construct the unnamed second and third ships within the Icon Class for its Royal Caribbean International model, and Mein Schiff 7, which is at the moment below building for the corporate’s TUI Cruises model.
“While expertise and interdisciplinary collaboration will always be key to the success of shipbuilding, we recognize the need to continuously evolve and create strategies to reduce carbon emissions toward net zero,” stated Tim Meyer, CEO, Meyer Turku Oy. “This commitment will set us up, as an industry, to innovate and adapt in how we design, build and operate ships. This challenge presents significant opportunities for the Finnish maritime industry to take the lead globally and bring to market new technologies and products.”
