Some European yards diversifying due to market pressures have struggled to meet delivery schedules for very specialised ships.

Germany’s Flensburger Shipyard, for example, faced difficulties after 2010 as the ro-ro and ropax specialist sought to compensate for a lack of orders by building offshore well-intervention ships, heavylift semi-submersible units and seismic vessels.

Too many prototypes resulted in delivery delays and losses before Norway’s Siem Industries stepped in as the new owner.