Ulstein Group
Supply and demand
The Ulstein Group was formed in response to the structural transition of the Norwegian fishing fleet from sail and rowing boats to motorised vessels, which occurred in the early 1900s.
During this time there was a surge of new mechanical workshops to install and maintain the fleet’s new motors, one such workshop was set up by Martin Ulstein, together with his brother-in-law, in 1917, marking the start of the Ulstein brand. Today, the company is run by his grandchildren, and employs roughly 800 people across 11 subsidiary businesses in the fields of ship production and 
supply within the maritime industry.
The companies within the Ulstein Group are gathered under the holding company, Ulstein Mekaniske Verksted Holding (UMVH) that, besides operating as a holding company, has the primary task of developing the group across the business structure. UMVH began operations at the start of May 1999, the companies within
the group include operating companies in ship design, shipbuilding, electrical and control systems, property companies that own buildings and facilities, and companies with ownership shares in ships.
Subsidiary company, Ulstein Verft AS is one of the world’s foremost suppliers of advanced vessels, which are primarily anchor handling tug supply vessels, platform supply vessels, and specialised and multifunctional vessels. The shipyard is an important development base for pilot projects.
With a major background in producing top quality vessels for the offshore and shipping industries, the company offers premium ship design for any specific application, based on its core values of openness, commitment, flexibility and innovation. Its ship design and equipment packages are available to the international market with focus on offshore, heavy offshore and shortsea shipping. A close co-operation with ship owners, operators and equipment manufacturers has provided Ulstein with extensive knowledge and expertise in the areas of project management, system integration and onboard solutions. Ulstein’s designs are recognisable for their safety and reliability, as well as their efficiency and low lifecycle costs, which provide better operability. The company’s main shipyard is located in Ulsteinvik, Norway, but there is also a department in Vanylven, Norway, where steel-sections are constructed for the main yard. The steel intensive components are manufactured at the Maritim-Shipyard in Poland, where Ulstein Poland Ltd then follows up production. In addition, Ulstein Verft collaborates with a shipyard in the Ukraine – JSC Zaliv – that is located in Crimea, amongst other facilities, for large vessel construction.
Among its ship designs, Ulstein offers an extensive range of platform supply vessels. Based on the principles of modular design, the Ulstein P-Series can serve as multi-purpose platforms. The end product features a high level of flexibility that is the result of a range of alternative pre-engineered modules and well-considered solutions. The hull form of the vessels has been designed to offer a 
large cargo capacity, together with low noise level, low fuel consumption, and good sea-faring abilities, which ensures constant high operability, even during harsh weather conditions.
Ulstein’s ships have won prestigious Ship of the Year awards two years running. First, the Bourbon Orca was named Skipsrevyen’s Ship of the Year in 2006. Secondly, Normand Seven achieved the same price in 2007. In 2008 Island Constructor, an X-bow vessel, received the Offshore Support Journal’s Ship of the Year 2008 award. The pioneering ship is the result of a vision that subsea well intervention activities should be carried out by a vessel rather than a drilling rig.
The most recent activity within the group is a new contract between the Abu Dhabi based National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) and Ulstein’s Dutch design office, Ulstein Sea of Solutions. It is for the design of the NPCC’s new large derrick pipelay vessel, the DLS-4200, which once completed, will be one of the biggest vessels of its kind. It is designed to operate across the world –it will initially be equipped with a mooring system to operate in the Arabian Gulf and India. A future DP2 upgrade is already being envisaged and taken into consideration in the current design to minimise the technical impact of an upgrade in the future.
With the constant aim of challenging the oceans, in terms of its design, Ulstein’s work is based on a continuous exchange of knowledge between the ship owners, designers, equipment manufacturers, engineers and shipbuilders. This unique collaboration gives the team the opportunity to act as a centre of expertise, remaining one step ahead in the design and construction of advanced vessels. Together, the team can keep at the cutting edge of ship design, reflected in the innovative solutions it offers for even the most demanding operations. The Ulstein X-Bow serves as a good example of the type of design the team can pioneer, as it is a revolution in offshore vessel design. Ulstein is committed to rising to the challenge of demanding operations and continues to offer groundbreaking solutions in this area.
Ulstein Group
Services: Ship manufacture