Russian shipbuilders may join alliances with world manufacturers

Russian shipbuilders may enter alliances with global manufacturers in case of necessity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
“We should adopt foreign experience where this is needed,” Putin said, adding that Russian shipbuilders may “join technological alliances with the world’s leading manufacturers.”
Putin reminded that one of Russia’s most advanced shipyards is currently being built “from scratch” in Bolshoi Kamen Bay, in the country’s Far East. The first stage of the construction is expected to complete in 2016.
“That’s why there is a need in new production competence and skilled personnel,” the president stressed. The issue is acute both the Far East and the whole sector, Putin said, adding that Russia lacks specialists of all levels and modern systems of corporate and project management.
“We need a systematic approach — from raising staff to creating engineering centers and resolving many social issues,” Putin said.
Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of domestic shipyards playing a leading role in constructing vessels for the sphere of transport and fuel and energy complex.
“It is of principal importance that in the fight for the orders domestic shipyards have the leading roles,” Putin said at a meeting to discuss the development of civil shipbuilding.
Putin reminded of plans of Russia’s leading oil and gas companies to further develop offshore deposits of the Far East and the Arctic, and the growing importance of the Northern Sea route, the shortest sea passage between the European part of Russia and the Far East.
“All this implies a great amount of orders for reliable and modern vessels,” Putin said, stressing that massive projects in the transport and fuel and energy complex should fill the capacity of Russian, not foreign plants.”
“At the same time, our shipbuilders should offer a good quality product,” Putin said, adding that this product should outdo foreign ones both in price and speed of construction and maintenance.
The Russian leader has called to use the experience of Russian shipbuilders in manufacturing drilling platforms, geological survey vessels and supply vessels, as well as ice-class vessels.
“These competitive advantages need to be used into real and economically viable projects,” Putin stressed.
Plans to develop Russian shipbuilding should be synchronized with investment programs of major customers, the Russian president went on to say.
“Large scale projects are launched in the Russian fuel-and-energy industry, in the transport sector,” Putin said. “And our plans to put into operation new shipbuilding capacities must be synchronized with investment programs of major Russian customers,” he added.