RCG-Royal Caribbean Group announced it had signed a maritime declaration with the government of Finland, represented by the MEAE (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment) and Meyer Turku Oy, to chart the way forward for sustainable and innovative shipbuilding in the country.
The commitment is expected to strengthen competitiveness, advance innovation, and bolster the ecosystem of the maritime industry.
Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group said their partners in Finland had helped them deliver some of the most impressive and sustainable ships in the world, including their newest ship debuting in January 2024, Icon of the Seas.
“This new partnership sets the stage for future innovations and allows us and the maritime industry to continue pursuing sustainability at the highest level.”
The declaration announced the following actions:
- Preparing a roadmap for the building of climate-neutral ships in Finland.
- Strengthening the innovation of Royal Caribbean Group, Meyer Turku, and the maritime industry.
- Supporting networking to develop new solutions, curb economic challenges, and secure the long-term viability of the industry.
- Assembling a digital demonstration of a climate-neutral vessel as part of the sustainable maritime industry development program.
- Piloting/testing new innovations and technologies on RCG ships.
The new partnership also advances the Destination Net Zero strategy of Royal Caribbean Group to decarbonize its operations by 2050 along with its near-/medium-term targets, such as reducing carbon intensity by double digits by 2025 in comparison with 2019 and the introduction of a net-zero ship by 2035.
This declaration comes on the heels of another milestone for Royal Caribbean. On December 9th, the revolutionary Icon OTS ship reached her next construction phase ahead of its January 2024 debut. The newbuild floated on water for the first time since the assembly started 9 months ago at Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. Icon OTS is expected to become the brand’s most sustainable ship to date as well as "the crown jewel of shipbuilding in the Finnish maritime industry."
The company has agreements with the shipyard to build the unnamed 2nd and 3rd Icon Class units (for RCI-Royal Caribbean International), as well as Mein Schiff 7 (currently under construction) for TUI Cruises.