Damen’s second annual Workboat Festival at DAMEN Shipyards’ HQ at Gorinchem, the event not only invited guests to experience a selection of smaller tugs, pilot boats, fast crew suppliers and a high-powered RIB, it also gave them the opportunity to explore themes that are very much at the forefront of the industry, the company said in its press release.
More than 200 guests explored the various stands and interactive exhibits dedicated to six themes that are highly topical at present. These were environmental responsibility; digitalisation; safety & security; operations & maintenance; and marine harvesting & offshore energy. For each of these, DAMEN specialists were available to present the latest solutions and discuss the initiatives and innovations in each area that DAMEN is developing for the workboat sector.
In addition to the sizeable DAMEN team, led by COO Arnout Damen, ten DAMEN suppliers also had stands on the waterfront. They brought their own specialist knowledge to the day, covering areas including engines and other machinery, electrical integration and automation, and propulsion. This allowed visitors to access an additional layer of knowledge regarding the systems and technology that underpin Damen’s industry-leading workboat range.
“We had a very successful second festival,” commented Mijndert Wiesenekker, DAMEN Sales Director for Benelux. “It was great to see so many customers and partners despite the earlier bad weather. Features such as our apps showing remote monitoring in action, and the finance department generating quotes in real-time in response to customers’ requests, were a big success. The ship models and products on display received lots of interest and we even had a sand suction challenge with a DAMEN Cutter Suction Dredger simulator for guests to take part in. We received many compliments from visitors, with comments saying how interesting they found the event, how good the hospitality was, and how nice it was to catch up with old friends and colleagues. We look forward to doing it again next year.”
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 33 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. DAMEN has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept DAMEN is able to guarantee consistent quality.
Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, DAMEN vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.
For nearly all vessel types DAMEN offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. DAMEN also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.
Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of sixteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 drydocks; conventional, floating and covered, the largest of which is 420 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,350 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at the yards as well as in ports and while vessels are at sea.