Bjørn K. Haugland, DNV Maritime’s regional manager for Greater China, said: “The opening of the DNV Academy is a reflection of the need for a dedicated shipping technical curriculum for industry practitioners.”

The Academy, which is an integral part of DNV Maritime’s Service Centre, will provide the maritime industry with technical expertise running regular courses for shipbuilders, designers and owner’s site teams. It offers a wide range of training courses including both standard and customized programmes.

“Essentially, what this scheme is all about is imparting knowledge and expertise to our customers on the accumulated experience and research and development that DNV has accrued over the years,” explains Espen Juell, head of the DNV Maritime Academy for region Greater China.

While growth in Chinese ship output is estimated to grow annually at 20% in the coming 10 years, emphasis on quality is increasingly vital wherever ships are built emphasized Haugland.

“As ship sizes and operational load factors grow, with ship designs becoming more complex in a zero tolerance society and demands for great productivity largely spurred by greater cargo growth out of China, shipbuilders everywhere are stepping up their R&D,” he said.

With this Shanghai Academy opening, DNV continues to reinforce its position in eastern China as a maritime partner dedicated to improving technological competence. Its other two Academies are located in Dalian and Hong Kong.