NIT Naval Interior Team has joined a freshly launched development project: CruiseFlex – Design for a Sustainable LifeCycle. With its own co-innovation project, CruiseFlex – Optimized Concept for Efficient Architecture, NIT is supporting the objectives of the consortium as well as enabling internal development and research in NIT.
Juhani Määttänen tells about NIT’s long history of development collaboration with the maritime network and universities: “Since 2016, we have participated in a variety of projects, and Co-Innovation projects like CruiseFlex play an essential part in NIT’s research and development activities.”
He emphasizes the importance of cooperative research projects: “By taking part in projects like these, we are able to operate with resources far beyond our size and leverage the expertise of universities and research institutions in ways that would not be possible on our own. Our network in Finland is truly unique in its ability to make this kind of research collaboration possible.”
In NIT’s R&D project, the main focus is to develop a carbon neutral cruise ship interior concept, and to study its impact on the customer experience and overall competitiveness in turnkey project delivery. We aim to further develop and streamline concept and manufacturing design processes, the interfaces between them, and the necessary digital tools, information flow, and reporting, while taking the project’s own delivery and production processes into account.
“To remain competitive in the future, we must continuously improve and streamline our operations. This includes the continuous development of our processes and digital tools, but equally important is understanding the needs of our customers and the market – and responding to them effectively”, Juhani explains.
Through the CruiseFlex project, NIT will further develop not only its own expertise but also the customer experience provided. “One key outcome will be a more advanced design process, covering the full life cycle and interfaces from concept to installation and renovation, along with strengthened capabilities in 3D design processes, related tools and PDM systems. All this is wrapped around the increasing sustainability requirements, evolving market and ever more complex and demanding technology and design”, Juhani notes.
“Most Importantly, the project enables us to influence interfaces across different stages of the value chain, as it brings together architects, shipyards, and other key stakeholders. This project is not only benefiting NIT, but the whole Finnish shipbuilding industry“, he highlights.
The development project is divided into two work packages. Work package one is focusing on sustainable design concept and building methods, project management processes, digital tools and ai, and reporting. The second work package studies customer experience, the impact of sustainability on it and means of measuring the customer experience through the delivery process.
“It will be interesting to continue the previous research of customer experience in shipbuilding projects. As noted, the customer experience is generated on many levels through the long process of a project. We have to understand which factors affect that the most, and find ways to measure it during different phases in order to keep improving”, Sara Lahdenperä summarizes about the WP2.
CruiseFlex – Design for a Sustainable Life Cycle project is a two-year R&D initiative focused on making cruise ship public spaces more adaptable, sustainable, and long-lasting. Consortium combines expertise across the maritime industry with partners: Meyer Turku, SeaKing, NIT Naval Interior Team and Kudos Design. Research is collaborated with Åbo Akademi University, the University of Turku, Aalto University, LUT University, and LAB University of Applied Sciences, and the project is coordinated by PBI Research Institute, and funded by Business Finland.
Read more about the whole project on Åbo Akademi’s publication: https://www.abo.fi/en/news/cruiseflex-initiative-launched-to-advance-sustainable-and-adaptable-cruise-ship-design/