Miika Salonen (B. Eng. Construction Engineer) has wide experience in the marine industry, and reached 20 years in NIT in June 2025 making him one of the most experienced Designers in the company. His career in shipbuilding began right after engineering school, almost by chance. “Turku Shipyard was building Voyager of the Seas for Royal Caribbean, and there was a need for designers. Many of us found ourselves in shipbuilding that way.”
Over the years Miika has designed a wide range of cruise ship interiors, from restaurants to staircases, and hand-drawn sketches remain the core of his design thinking. What motivates him most is the freedom to define solutions himself – combining accuracy, creativity, and engineering logic. “It is not only about visually impressive interiors, but technical, creative and efficient solutions that actually work. “
Miika finds the curious designs keeping the work interesting. “The more unusual and awesome idea the architect has in mind, the more interesting it is to execute.” He sees the best part of the job is coming up with innovative ideas and solving challenges. One memorable case is Celebrity Flora from 2018, where architect envisioned floating staircases and NIT as a staircase expert was called in. “At first, we wondered how something that sounded impossible could actually be built. After brainstorming together and multiple drafts on paper, we were able to present a functional solution to the customer, showing that we can do this.”
According to Miika, engineering accuracy is essential in design work, but mindset matters even more. “Everything else can be learned, but the attitude toward precision has to be there.” Learning is a natural part of the job, and Miika values supporting one another and sharing the knowledge. He enjoys being one that colleagues can rely on for advice and solutions.
Close collaboration with production and site teams is the cornerstone for operations, and that’s why different departments are not working separately but more together. Miika sees the overview of the whole process as NIT’s key strength. “Understanding what is actually built on board helps us design logical solutions. We don’t just draw – we know how things are built efficiently.” Within the design department, feedback, ideas, and lessons learned are actively shared. “When projects run in multiple sites, it’s important to come together and share knowledge. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel if someone has already solved the problem.”
Having worked across a couple decades of shipbuilding, Miika has seen what has changed the most in the industry. “It is the change – we live in constant change, and managing that has become the most important skill.” Where earlier modifications meant searching physical archives, today projects evolve continuously. New ideas, technical changes, and last-minute requests can appear at any stage. “You need to see the big picture and understand where the modification comes from and how it affects everything else.”
