Concordia Damen and Kooiman Marine Group have expressed interest in building STC Group's new training vessel Ab Initio by submitting a tender. The vessel is to be built to a conceptual design devised by STC's staff and students. In February 2020, a shipyard will be selected.
'It is an honour that these renowned shipyards are so enthusiastically involved in building a future-proof and state-of-the-art training vessel,' responded Astrid Kee, member of the Executive Board of STC Group, the Rotterdam-based educational and research institution for the shipping, logistics, transport and process industries. 'In the coming months, we will study the proposals of the shipyards. We expect to announce in February 2020 which shipyard will be commissioned to build this business card for the school and the maritime cluster.'
Replacement of Old Vessels
After more than fifty years of service, of which about eighteen years as a training vessel of STC Group, the current training vessels Princess Christina and Princess Beatrix need to be replaced. At the end of 2018, pupils, students and teachers at the STC started thinking up the name, defining the programme of requirements and designing the replacement ships. They are supported in this by specialists from the business community. The first ship, Ab Initio, will enter service in 2021. The ship will play an important role in the training of students of the STC Group.
Investment in Education, Sector and Future
Both shipyards are enthusiastic about the possible contract. Tim van Berchum, Concordia Damen, said: 'Concordia Damen sees the construction of the Ab Initio as a great instrument to support education in the inland shipping sector. The STC is looking for a sustainable, innovative and multifunctional training vessel. We are going to develop and build it together, as an investment in education, the sector and the future.'
Jef Roggekamp of Kooiman Marine Group is also looking forward to join the project: 'We are happy to take the next step in the realisation of this challenging project. We find it particularly challenging to build on a conceptual design devised by students. We are even more looking forward to the next phases in the process. To carry out the design, construction, completion and commissioning of the ship together with students and teachers. Not only do we build a beautiful ship, but we also contribute to the development of young talent.'
Picture: Conceptual design of the Ab Initio (by STC Group).
