Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Titanic builder Harland and Wolff launches Aberdeen tech business

The firm said marine technologies are moving at “considerable pace” and ensuring it is at the forefront is essential.

Harland & Wolff  chief executive John Wood. Image:  Harland & Wolff.
Harland & Wolff chief executive John Wood. Image: Harland & Wolff.

Harland and Wolff – the maritime engineering firm which built the Titanic and owns the former BiFab wind manufacturing yard in Methil – is launching an Aberdeen technology business.

The shipbuilder, best known for construction of the cruise liner in Belfast, has ramping up its offering in the energy sector, with fabrication and decommissioning,.

It also owns a gas storage facility at Islandmagee.

It has announced the launch of a new fully-owned subsidiary – Harland and Wolff Technology (HWT).

The new business will be based in Aberdeen, which it describes as”the United Kingdom’s energy capital.”

harland wolff aberdeen
Harland and Wolff in Methil.

Harland and Wolff said marine technologies are moving at “considerable pace” and ensuring it is at the “forefront” is essential.

Its focus on batteries, propulsion, future fuels and systems for vessels will make a “meaningful contribution” to the UK’s net zero targets.

The company said it is developing a suite of partnerships with original equipment manufactuers to that end.

Richard Davidson, most recently UK operations director at marine energy solutions firm Echandia, has been named managing director.

Richard Davidson has been appointed managing director of the new business.

He has three decades of experience in the market.

At Echandia, Mr Davidson was responsible for developing and monetising large-scale battery storage tech for the marine market.

New tech firm keeps Harland and Wolff  ‘at the forefront’

The Aberdeen firm will operate independently but in conjunction with company’s four delivery centres and shipyards across the UK.

Harland and Wolff said “HWT will be well placed to address a very sizeable business opportunity across these markets.”

Chief executive John Wood said: “The establishment of HWT enables us to be at the forefront of client requirements now and into the future.

“In the first instance, we will be focusing on in-service support including mechanical, pipework, fabrication and outfitting services.

“HWT’s offering will allow assets to be in operation whilst being serviced by our riding crews.

“Ultimately, this will reduce the time spent by an asset in a dry dock, keep it in continuous operation, and therefore reduce downtime costs, all of which are highly attractive outcomes for our clients.”

Conversation