VARD wins largest ever order for a Norwegian shipyard

VARD is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with the global research organization Inkfish for the design and construction of a groundbreaking research vessel of VARD 9 42 design. The value of the contract is nearly 700 million euros. This is the largest order ever secured by VARD for one single vessel as well as the largest order of its kind for any Norwegian shipyard.

The new research vessel, project-named RV11000 (length of 162 m and a beam of 28 m), represents a significant advancement in capability, building on the engineering and design foundations established by Inkfish’s first purpose-built research vessel, project-named RV6000 (length of 100 m and a beam of 20.7 m), contracted with Vard in 2025. Both vessels will join Inkfish’s growing fleet, alongside RV Hydra and RV Dagon, to support marine research globally and contribute data to open-sourced repositories.

Developed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway, in collaboration with Inkfish and their technical partner YTMC and with the support of the Fincantieri Group, RV11000 is a tailor-made research vessel designed for seafloor mapping, corer operations, submarine handling and support, and ROV operations at depths of up to 11,000 metres. 

Vessel features will include a hull optimised for ultimate seabed mapping performance, four active stabilizers for reduced motions and accelerations, excellent station-keeping performance and up to 12 hours of silent mode operation powered entirely by integrated battery systems.