Vard Marine
Vard Marine Inc. is a consulting naval architecture and marine engineering firm — a subsidiary of Fincantieri-owned Vard Group AS — that designs and licenses proprietary vessel series for navies, coast guards, shipyards, and commercial ship owners across the naval, offshore, ferry, and renewables segments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Vard Marine does
Vard Marine Inc. is a consulting naval architecture and marine engineering firm headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with satellite offices in Ottawa, Houston, Vũng Tàu (Vietnam), and Gdańsk (Poland). Founded in 1983, the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Norwegian shipbuilder Vard Group AS, itself fully owned by Italian shipbuilding conglomerate Fincantieri. Vard Marine delivers a portfolio of proprietary vessel design series — VARD 1 (PSVs), VARD 2 (AHTS), VARD 3 (offshore subsea construction), VARD 4 (renewable SOVs), VARD 6 (ferries), VARD 7 (naval and security, including OPVs and amphibious vessels), VARD 9 (specialized/icebreakers/research), and CSS (compact semi-submersibles) — alongside engineering services spanning concept design, classification design, advanced analysis (FEA, CFD, ship motion), 3D visual engineering, full-scale trials, ship model testing, refit, risk assessment, and EEXI compliance. Its client base spans navies, coast guards, shipyards, and commercial ship owners across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceania.
The company generates revenue through two primary streams: (1) fixed-scope professional services contracts for basic/classification design, concept exploration, advanced engineering analysis, and construction support — typically multi-year milestone-based engagements such as the ~€4.0 million Chilean Navy Antarctic icebreaker basic-design contract or U.S. Navy NGLS concept refinement work — and (2) licensing of class-approved standardized designs to shipyards for series construction, with yard clients paying for design packages and sometimes per-vessel royalties. Go-to-market is a hybrid of enterprise field sales (direct to navies and shipbuilders), event-driven marketing (CANSEC, DEFSEC, DSEI London, Africa Aerospace and Defence), and channel partnerships with shipbuilders, classification societies, and industrial coalitions such as Team Vigilance for the Royal Canadian Navy's VIGILANCE OPV program. The firm employs between 101 and 250 staff and operates from a multi-continent footprint that supports contract delivery on platforms including the U.S. Coast Guard OPC, U.S. Navy NGLS, Royal Canadian Navy AOPS and VIGILANCE OPV, Royal Navy Echo-class, Irish Naval Service OPVs, Chilean Navy Antarctic icebreaker, and Canadian Coast Guard Polar-class icebreaker "John G. Diefenbaker."
Vard Marine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vard Marine
- Legal name
- Vard Marine Inc.
- Website
- https://vardmarine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Vard Marine Inc. is a consulting naval architecture and marine engineering firm — a subsidiary of Fincantieri-owned Vard Group AS — that designs and licenses proprietary vessel series for navies, coast guards, shipyards, and commercial ship owners across the naval, offshore, ferry, and renewables segments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vard Marine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Production Design & Detailed Engineering (3D CAD, Drawings, BOM, Nesting) (IMAJAGAK)
Keywords
Where Vard Marine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Vard Marine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ship design and engineering service contracts: Vard Marine sells consulting naval architecture and marine engineering services to navies, shipyards, and ship owners. Work is delivered under fixed-scope contracts for basic design, classification design, concept exploration, advanced analysis, 3D visual engineering, model testing, refit engineering, and risk assessment — typically milestone-based one-time engagements tied to specific platform programs (e.g., U.S. Navy NGLS, Chilean Navy Antarctic icebreaker ~€4M contract, Royal Canadian Navy HMCS Harry DeWolf AOPS).
- Design IP licensing to shipyards for series construction: Vard Marine develops standardized vessel designs (VARD 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 series plus CSS platform) and licenses them to shipyards worldwide for construction. Yard clients pay for the design package and, in some cases, per-vessel royalties; build slots are procured separately by owners who then contract shipyards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Basic design / classification design package — fixed contract value per project (e.g., Chilean Antarctic icebreaker ~€4.0M) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Concept design and market study for U.S. Navy NGLS program |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vard Marine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vard Marine provides consulting naval architecture and marine engineering services, delivering proprietary vessel design series (VARD 1 through 9 plus CSS Compact Semi-Submersibles) and supporting engineering services such as concept design, basic/classification design, 3D visual engineering, advanced analysis (FEA, CFD, ship motion analysis), ship model testing, full-scale trials, refit engineering, and EEXI compliance. The firm licenses its class-approved designs to shipyards worldwide and supports naval, coast guard, offshore energy, renewable, ferry, and specialized vessel programs.
Product overview
Vard Marine Inc. is a consulting naval architecture and marine engineering firm (subsidiary of Italy's Fincantieri Group via VARD Group AS) delivering a portfolio of proprietary vessel design 'series' and engineering services rather than a single unified SaaS product. The offering centers on eight named vessel design families — the VARD 1 Series Platform Supply Vessels, VARD 2 Series Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels, VARD 3 Series Offshore Subsea Construction Vessels, VARD 4 Series Renewable/Service Operations Vessels (SOVs), VARD 6 Series Ferries, VARD 7 Series Naval and Security Vessels (offshore patrol, amphibious and auxiliaries), VARD 9 Series Specialized Vessels (icebreakers, research, emergency towing, buoy tenders, floating power plants) and the CSS Compact Semi-Submersible Designs — each encompassing multiple named individual hulls (e.g., VARD 7 090, VARD 7 100 ICE, VARD 7 110, VARD 7 115 NGOPV, VARD 7 125 NGOPV, VARD 7 411 LPD, VARD 9 203, VARD 9 206 'Diefenbaker', CSS-Windfarm W65). Around these designs, Vard Marine bundles professional services — Ship Design, Concept Design, 3D Visual Engineering, Advanced Analysis (FEA/CFD/Ship Motion Analysis), Full-Scale Trials, Ship Model Testing, Refit, Risk Assessment and EEXI compliance — and runs two flagship named programs: the Team Vigilance VIGILANCE Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (Canada's NSS Pillar Two, partnered with Thales Canada, Ontario Shipyards, SH Defence, Fincantieri and a Preferred Suppliers Program of Canadian industry) and the recent HOS Rocinante CSOV conversion design. The current contract pipeline is anchored by the March 2026 U.S. Navy Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) concept refinement win (teamed with Hanwha Defense USA, Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Siemens Energy and Acumen Aerospace and Defense Advisors).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VIGILANCE: Vard Marine's branded next-generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) solution designed to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDV) under Pillar Two of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy; delivered via the Team Vigilance coalition.
Products and services
- VARD 1 Series Platform Supply Vessels Offshore platform supply vessel design series ranging from the 4,000 DWT VARD 1 260 up through the dual-fuel LNG-capable VARD 1 311. Designed for North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic service with DP-2 capability and ABS ENVIRO, FFV-1, and DPS-2 notations. Includes patented dual-fuel LNG OSV designs.
- VARD 2 Series Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels
Quantifiable outcome
- ~$500 million fleetwide lifecycle savings for Seaspan Ferries vs conventional design
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Vard Marine
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Vard Marine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
Vard Marine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
32 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Hanwha Defense USAflagshipTeaming partner on Vard Marine's U.S. Navy Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) contract. Hanwha Defense USA and its Hanwha Philly Shipyard subsidiary were selected as subcontractors to Vard Marine US, Inc. for market surveys, concept design, and platform refinement. The partnership marks Hanwha Defense USA's first U.S. Navy contract since its establishment.
- Hanwha Philly ShipyardflagshipTeaming partner on Vard Marine's U.S. Navy NGLS contract. Supporting market surveys, concept design, and producibility/cost analyses for the light replenishment oiler (T-AOL) platform. Hanwha has invested over $200 million since December 2024 to upgrade the Philly Shipyard.
- Siemens EnergycoreSubcontracted partner on Vard Marine's U.S. Navy NGLS contract supporting propulsion integration services for the new T-AOL platform.
- Acumen Aerospace and Defense AdvisorscoreSubcontracted consulting partner on Vard Marine's U.S. Navy NGLS contract — supporting producibility and consulting services for the new T-AOL platform.
- Fibreglass Solutions Inc. (FSI)coreSelected as a Preferred Supplier for Team Vigilance (VIGILANCE OPV for RCN). FSI supplies glass-reinforced epoxy (GRE) piping and structural solutions — 100% Canadian-owned, based in Woodstock, Ontario; Canadian distributor for NOV Fiber Glass Systems' Bondstrand™ and MARRS™ marine products.
- Dominis Engineering Ltd.coreSelected as Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance — Canada's only "design to build" propeller manufacturer (CNC milling of marine propellers, water jet impellers, hydro turbine runners). Supplied propeller blades for the Canadian Patrol Frigate program.
- BluMetric Environmental Inc.coreSelected as Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance — supplies Shipboard Reverse Osmosis Desalinator (SROD) systems to the Halifax class since 2011; supplier to RCN Joint Support Ship.
- Fincantieri Bay ShipbuildingcoreContracted Vard Marine to design the largest LNG Jones Act bunker barge — a 5,400 CBM LNG bunker barge (Polaris New Energy) to be built at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
- Thales CanadaflagshipCore Team Vigilance partner for the Royal Canadian Navy VIGILANCE OPV program (Pillar Two of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy), replacing the Kingston-class MCDVs. Team Vigilance launched VIGILANCE at CANSEC 2023.
- Ontario ShipyardsflagshipCore Team Vigilance partner for the Royal Canadian Navy VIGILANCE OPV program.
- SH DefenceflagshipCore Team Vigilance partner for the Royal Canadian Navy VIGILANCE OPV program.
- FincantieriflagshipParent company of Vard Marine via VARD Group AS (Italian Fincantieri fully owns VARD Group AS, of which Vard Marine US, Inc. is a subsidiary). Fincantieri is also a Team Vigilance partner. Listed under Affiliates on vardmarine.com.
- VARD Group ASflagshipParent company of Vard Marine Inc. and Vard Marine US, Inc. — Vard Marine operates as a subsidiary of VARD Group AS, fully owned by Italian Fincantieri Group. Listed under Affiliates on vardmarine.com.
- Heddle ShipyardscoreTeam Vigilance partner announced jointly with ABS Canada in support of the Vigilance next-generation offshore patrol vessel for the Royal Canadian Navy.
- American Bureau of Shipping Canada (ABS)coreClassification society partner on the Vigilance OPV initiative — joint announcement with Heddle Shipyards in support of the VIGILANCE next-generation OPV for the RCN.
- Glamox Inc. (Canada)coreWelcomed into the Team Vigilance Preferred Suppliers Program at CANSEC 2023. Lighting and marine electrical supplier for the VIGILANCE RCN program.
- DEW Engineering and Development ULCcoreWelcomed into the Team Vigilance Preferred Suppliers Program — supplier based at DEW's Ottawa plant for the VIGILANCE RCN program.
- SSI (Shipbuilders & Shiprepair Industry IT)coreSelected as Preferred Supplier for Team Vigilance for shipbuilding digital transformation at CANSEC 2023.
- IDS North America Ltd.coreWelcomed into the Team Vigilance Preferred Suppliers Program at CANSEC 2023.
- Thordon Bearings Inc.coreWelcomed into the Team Vigilance Preferred Suppliers Program at CANSEC 2023 — marine bearing supplier.
- SercocoreWelcomed into the Team Vigilance Preferred Suppliers Program.
- GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc.coreWelcomed into the Team Vigilance Preferred Suppliers Program.
- Terragon Environmental Technologies Inc.coreWelcomed into the Vigilance Preferred Suppliers Program — environmental technologies partner.
- ASFAT (Askeri Fabrika ve Tersane İşletme A.Ş.)coreMOU signed for long-term strategic relationship in Turkey for naval vessel design and shipbuilding.
- ILS Ship Design & Engineering Oy (Finland)coreCollaborative teaming agreement to develop design solutions for the global icebreaker market — combining Vard Marine and Finnish expertise.
- Beca Applied Technologies Ltd (New Zealand)coreAppointed with Vard Marine Inc. support by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence for the Southern Ocean Patrol Vessel Project.
- BMT CanadacorePartner on the HMCS Harry DeWolf Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship program — Vard Marine and BMT Canada congratulated the Royal Canadian Navy on acceptance of HMCS Harry DeWolf on July 31, 2020.
- Sandock Austral Shipyards (South Africa)minorTripartite alliance with Fincantieri and Vard Marine for African maritime security — announced at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2024.
- Babcock International / Appledore ShipyardcoreConstruction partner that built the four VARD 7 090 OPVs for the Irish Naval Service at Appledore Shipyard, North Devon, England; also built the Royal Navy Echo-class survey vessels (HMS Echo, HMS Enterprise).
- Philly ShipyardcoreTeam partner on CHAMP Design Study industry studies contract (June 2019) and current NGLS program teammate via Hanwha Philly Shipyard acquisition.
- ASMAR (Chile)coreAwarded Vard Marine the contract to develop the basic design of an Antarctic icebreaking vessel for the Chilean Navy, constructed at ASMAR shipyard in Talcahuano, Chile (~€4.0 million contract value).
- Southern African Shipyards (SAS)coreSelected as preferred bidder for South African Navy Project "Hotel" with Vard Marine 9 105 Hydrographic/Oceanographic Survey vessel design — Vard Marine produces basic design and supports detailed design/construction.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vard Marine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Robert Allan Ltd. Canadian naval architecture firm specializing in tugboats, patrol vessels, fireboats, and specialty craft. A direct peer in Canadian and international patrol/OPV design and competes with Vard Marine on government naval and coast guard vessel design contracts.
- Glosten: U.S. naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy providing vessel design and engineering services to commercial, offshore, and government clients. Directly comparable in scope of services (concept design, FEA, CFD) and customer base (offshore operators, government agencies).
- Elliott Bay Design Group: U.S. naval architecture and marine engineering firm serving the commercial marine, offshore, and government vessel markets with ship design, analysis, and consulting services. Direct competitor for U.S. Navy, USCG, and commercial OSV design contracts.
- BMT Group: UK-headquartered maritime design and engineering consultancy providing naval architecture, marine engineering, and ship design services to navies, coast guards, and commercial operators worldwide. Direct competitor across offshore vessels, naval auxiliaries, and government maritime programs; BMT Canada is already partnered with Vard Marine on the RCN AOPS program, evidencing overlapping customer sets.
- Odense Maritime Technology (OMT): Danish independent ship design and engineering company providing basic and detail design for naval, offshore, and specialized vessels. Direct peer in offshore vessel design and naval architecture consulting, serving European and international customers.
- ILS Ship Design & Engineering Oy: Finnish ship design and engineering firm specializing in icebreakers and Arctic vessels. Already a collaborative partner of Vard Marine on global icebreaker market development, evidencing overlapping capability in polar/ice-class vessel design.
Others
- Fincantieri: Italian global shipbuilding conglomerate and ultimate parent of Vard Marine via VARD Group AS. Operates captive shipyards and ship design capability across naval, cruise, and offshore segments; functions simultaneously as parent, partner (Team Vigilance), and broader incumbent.
Broad incumbents
- Navantia: Spanish state-owned shipbuilder designing and constructing naval vessels (frigates, OPVs, amphibious ships) for the Spanish Navy and export customers. Broader incumbent in the same naval design space where Vard Marine operates.
- Austal: Australian-headquartered shipbuilder and design firm with a global portfolio of aluminum naval, commercial, and high-speed vessels. Competes with Vard Marine on OPV and naval auxiliary designs globally but operates as a vertically integrated design-build incumbent.
- Damen: Dutch global shipbuilder with a portfolio of standardized vessel designs across naval, offshore, ferry, and workboat segments. Competes with Vard Marine on OPV, patrol, offshore, and ferry design but at much larger scale and with captive shipyard capacity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vard Marine social profiles
Digital presenceVard Marine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vard Marine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Vard Marine subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Vard Marine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vard Marine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vard Marine
What does Vard Marine do?
Vard Marine provides consulting naval architecture and marine engineering services, delivering proprietary vessel design series (VARD 1 through 9 plus CSS Compact Semi-Submersibles) and supporting engineering services such as concept design, basic/classification design, 3D visual engineering, advanced analysis (FEA, CFD, ship motion analysis), ship model testing, full-scale trials, refit engineering, and EEXI compliance. The firm licenses its class-approved designs to shipyards worldwide and supports naval, coast guard, offshore energy, renewable, ferry, and specialized vessel programs.
Is Vard Marine a public or private company?
Vard Marine is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Vard Marine founded?
Vard Marine was founded in 1983. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Vard Marine based?
Vard Marine is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Vard Marine make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Ship design and engineering service contracts are the primary driver. The others are design IP licensing to shipyards for series construction.
Who are Vard Marine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Robert Allan Ltd., Glosten, Elliott Bay Design Group, BMT Group, Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) and ILS Ship Design & Engineering Oy. Fincantieri is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Navantia, Austal and Damen.
Does Vard Marine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vard Marine.
What industry is Vard Marine in?
Vard Marine's product category is Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAGAO, Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support), with a secondary code of IMAJAGAK, Production Design & Detailed Engineering (3D CAD, Drawings, BOM, Nesting). Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.