Lifetime Achievement Award for Kommer Damen

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Arnout Damen, chief operations officer of Damen Shipyards Group, accepted Seawork’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the Innovation Awards Dinner last month, on behalf of Kommer Damen.

Arnout Damen, chief operations officer of Damen Shipyardds Group, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Kommer Damen

Arnout Damen, chief operations officer of Damen Shipyards Group, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award

The award was presented by Caroline Dinenage, local MP for Gosport, Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head.

In 1969 Kommer Damen took the helm of the family business, which had been established in 1927, and had just six workers at that time. He introduced several key concepts which remain to this day, the standardisation of ship types and their supply chains as well as keeping vessels in stock. He also introduced the modular shipbuilding concept for small workboats, which was later applied to larger vessels. This standardisation, the Damen Standard, results in short delivery times, reduced costs and proven technology.

Today, Damen Shipyards Group is a successful global enterprise with more than 6,000 employees and a presence in 35 countries. The family owned company operates over 40 shipyards, repair yards, joint ventures and related companies worldwide. Damen has designed and built over 5,000 vessels for a wide range of markets and builds 40% of the world’s new tugs.