Symbolic ship propeller awarded along with training certificates

Papenburg, 16. August 2018 - The ceremonial awarding of the symbolic training propeller has taken place for the sixteenth time at MEYER WERFT. The symbolic ship propeller represents movement and drive and serves to emphasise the importance of employee training. Tim Meyer, CEO, Anna Blumenberg, member of the HR management and Nico Bloem, chairman of the works council, presented the awards to employees at the shipyard who have successfully completed a wide range of further training and education measures. At the ceremony, the trainees were also presented with their training certificates.

The good level of training and ongoing education of employees at MEYER WERFT ensures the high degree of knowledge and quality that the company needs and is indeed indispensable, in view of the constantly growing technical and economic requirements of the highly complex process of cruise ship construction.

“Well-trained employees are of enormously high value to the MEYER group. It is thanks to the combination of initial training excellence and ongoing further professional qualifications that our employees are constantly able to ensure that our family-managed company continues to survive and grow in the complex cruise ship market. We are grateful to our employees that the company has orders on hand to last it until the year 2023. They are the ones who breathe life into our corporate goals and who, as specialists in their fields, see them through to their realisation. This is why we offer them a wide range of training measures to support both their personal and professional development. We are constantly on the lookout for new specialists to strengthen our team in performing our challenging projects”, said Tim Meyer on the occasion of the award ceremony.

Training measures, bachelors and masters studies, technician and master craftsman courses and technical management training are held in association with the chambers of commerce and industry, vocational colleges, institutes of higher education, and other education providers inside and outside the region.

In recognition of their further professional education, the symbolic ship propeller has been awarded to the following employees:

Bachelor of Arts in Business Management: Jan-Helmut Franken
Bachelor of Engineering (FH) with Specialisation in Mechanical Engineering and Design: Nils Steinfelder
Bachelor of Engineering – Electrical Engineering: Henning Meyer
Office and Project Organisation Management: Sorina Bentz
Master Craftsman in Precision Mechanics: Julien Stelzl
Administrative Accountant (VHS): Miriam Meyer
Certified Purchasing Specialist: Sandra Baalmann
Certified Company Accountant: Timo Lakeberg
Certified Industrial Master in Electrical Engineering: Maik Spekker
Certified Industrial Master in Metal Craft: Bernd Büter, Thomas Lüppens, Markus Lübbers, Martin Hermanns, Michael Robben, Mirco de Groot, Frank-Klaas Meulman, Michael Hemmer
Certified Technical Business Economist: Timo Rüther
Industrial Electrical Technician: Erik Goldberg
Industrial Mechanical Technician (IHK): Christoph Eden
Master of Innovation and Technology Management Science: Stefan Konen
Master of Science in Engineering: Alexander Goldbeck
State-Examined Electrical Technician: Jan Meyer, Dennis Schepers
State-Examined Construction Technician Specialising in Technical Building Services: Viktor Wildt, Christian Buse, Tobias Friesenborg, Thomas Oltmanns, Gerd Tichelaar, Roland Dirks, Thorsten Lange, Markus Ter Veen, Marcus Kaspers, Heinz-Georg Erfeling, Derk Immenga
State-Examined Mechanical Engineering Technician Specialising in Plant Technology: Jurij Scheeerbarth, Heinrich Abheiden, Ulrich Griepenburg, Michael Heeren, Franziska Jansen

Trainees who passed their final examination in summer 2018:

Construction Mechanic for Shipbuilding: Lisa Bergfeld, Simon Kuper
Construction Mechanic for Equipment: Jan Fokken
Mechatronics Technician: Maria Nee
Technical Product Designer: Steffen Breer
Industrial Mechanic: Niklas Baumfalk
Surveying Technician: Kilian Fischer

Dual-Studies Students

Business Administration: Jan-Hendrik Speckmann
Electrical Engineering: René Kotulla, Stefan Hackmann Terhorst
Mechanical Engineering and Design: Neele Gusek, Martin Treue, Jan Schröer, Wiebke Bohse
Mechanical Engineering Computer Science: Janic Wiechmann
Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering: Annika Meyer, Jonathan Rakow

Long-term interaction between science and industry

MEYER WERFT (MW) and the University of Groningen (UG) agreed a long-term collaboration today, as Sibrand Poppema (President of the University of Groningen) and Tim Meyer (Managing Director of MEYER WERFT) signed a cooperation agreement.

The objective of their teamwork is to expand the interaction between science and the economy in the northern region. MEYER WERFT is also always on the lookout for further highly-qualified professionals, including from the Netherlands. Both cooperation partners are joining forces to create the “Innovation Lab Papenburg - Groningen 2018-2050”. This will involve concrete projects between MEYER WERFT and the University of Groningen to create sustainable and competitive solutions. These projects will combine scientific questions with concrete fields of application from the industry.

The first three projects will deal with the topics of IT, sustainability and energy efficiency:

1. Next-generation IT in the production environment
In the age of Smart Industry / Industry 4.0, information and communication technology offers a high degree of flexibility in the field of production. The aim is to develop a piece of IC technology to integrate approaches for an intelligent value chain in the cruise industry.
Project coordinator: Prof Dr. Bayu Jayawardhana (UG), Dr. Paul Meyer (member of the IT Management Team at MW)

2. Sustainability in international business
As a world leader in the construction of cruise ships, MEYER WERFT is guided by international sustainability standards. The aim of the project is to implement a globally recognised and standardised reporting method.
Project coordinator: Prof. Alan Muller (UG), Paul Bloem (member of the Management Team at CPA, CSR, CC MW)

3. Energy efficiency on cruise ships
The construction of energy-efficient ships is one of the most important challenges facing the cruise ship industry. This project will involve joint research into technical possibilities for innovative fuel, efficient drive systems and renewable energy generation.
Project coordinator: Prof. Jacquelien Scherpen (UG), Hermann-Josef Mammes (Head of Research & Development at MW)

Furthermore, so-called “future spaces” will be built in Papenburg and Groningen, where all projects and activities will be coordinated.

Photo : Uni Groningen
From left: back row – Gernant Deekens (University of Groningen), Harald Orfgen (University of Groningen), Paul Bloem (Executive Board Member CPA, CSR, CC), Peter van Kampen (Deputy Director University of Groningen North West Germany), Prof Dr. Bayu Jayawardhana (University of Groningen); front row – Tim Meyer (Managing Director MEYER WERFT), Prof. Dr. Sibrand Poppema (President of the University of Groningen)

The keel has been laid down for the first block, and the hull can now be assembled in Building Dock I

The keel was laid down today for Spirit of Discovery, the first new vessel for the British shipping company SAGA Cruises at the MEYER WERFT shipyard in Papenburg. The first block of the new ship weighs 320 tonnes and is 5.5 metres high, 23.5 metres long and 20 metres wide. This is the first ship of its kind for Great Britain and will be delivered in summer 2019.

Lance Batchelor (Chief Executive Officer of the Saga Group), Sir Sebastian Wood (British ambassador in Berlin) and Tim Meyer (Managing Director of Meyer Werft) came together to lay a “lucky penny” underneath the first block. The block has been lowered onto the dock bracing, and now the hull can be assembled. This is also going to use Building Dock I again for complete new builds at the shipyard. It also means three cruise ships will now be delivered to various customers in 2019 and 2020, as opposed to the two ships that were originally planned. “This implies that we do offer additional jobs for specialists within our organisation”, said Tim Meyer.

The “Spirit of Discovery” is the first of two ships for the successful English cruise line, SAGA. The ships have an overall length of 236 metres, a width of 31.2 metres and a tonnage measurement of 58,250 GT. They can accommodate 999 passengers. Another new ship will follow in summer 2020.

The new ships will be tailored to the English market with a completely new design to make them stand out in every port, and their interior design and technology will set new standards.