Vard, the Norwegian subsidiary of Fincantieri Group, has signed a contract with US research organisation Inkfish for the design and construction of a new research vessel, Project RV6000, according to the company's release.
The contract is worth over €200 million.
The vessel will be 100 m long with a beam of 20.7 m, capable of a maximum speed of 15 knots and an operational autonomy of up to 30 days.
Equipped to support scientific exploration, RV6000 will feature a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) rated to 6 000 m depth, facilities for two manned submersibles, a stern-mounted A‑Frame, offshore crane with active heave compensation for operations at 2 500 m depth, and a large hangar.
It will also include hydroacoustic survey systems for high-resolution seafloor mapping, hybrid power generation and propulsion, and hull features for advanced seakeeping and station‑keeping.
Onboard labs, workshops, offices and accommodation will support up to 70 crew and scientists, meeting DNV COMF comfort standards with low noise and vibration.
Vard will manage the full build process—from hull construction in Romania to outfitting, integration and commissioning in Norway—with delivery scheduled for Q2 2028.
Vard is a Norwegian specialist shipbuilder under Fincantieri Group, focusing on the design and construction of specialist vessels including research ships, offshore and maritime innovation.
Fincantieri Group is an Italian multinational shipbuilding company and parent company of Vard, offering cruise, naval, offshore, and research vessel capabilities worldwide.
Inkfish is a US-based philanthropic research organisation that operates a fleet of research vessels integrating Marine science, engineering, medical innovation and operational expertise; it currently runs RV Hydra and RV Dagon, and aims to collect data for open‑source marine research.