Saltwater

What Saltwater does

Saltwater Engineering B.V. is a privately held Dutch naval and maritime engineering firm headquartered in Dordrecht, Netherlands, founded in 2006 and operating with 11-50 employees. The company delivers custom engineering solutions across three integrated service lines: Ship Design & Conversion (concept, basic, and detailed engineering plus system integrations and sustainability studies), Maritime Engineering (deck integrations, vessel mobilizations, heavy lift and transport, marine operations, and equipment design), and On-site Services (weight and stability surveys, specialist surveys, and on-site engineering support). Its technical stack combines conventional naval architecture methods with proprietary tools, including 3D scanning for point-cloud capture and clash detection, an AutoCAD-based dynamic block pad-eye generator, and Excel-based DNV-aligned vessel acceleration and loading condition calculators. The firm also invests in R&D vessel prototypes, namely Blue Sky (SOV for floating offshore wind), Blue Quest (offshore survey vessel), and Blue Dawn (mid-size SOV), and pursues sustainable maritime initiatives under a Be Blue program aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Saltwater operates a project-based, sales-led professional services model, acquiring clients through direct engagement with ship owners, yards, and offshore operators, with engagements typically awarded on the basis of track record and technical fit. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined per project. Customer base is entirely enterprise and concentrated in maritime and offshore energy, including Damen, Boskalis, Jumbo, DEME, Fugro, Heerema Marine Contractors, Stena Line, Sarens, Amels, Oceanco, and GeoQuip Marine. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and is recognized as an SBB Approved Training Company. Geographic focus is Northern Europe, specifically BENELUX, Germany, the UK, and Scandinavia, with no claims of global footprint and no disclosed revenue, funding, M&A, or ownership structure beyond its independent private limited company status.

Name

Saltwater

Legal name

Saltwater Engineering B.V.

Website

https://saltwater.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saltwater Engineering B.V. is a Dutch naval and maritime engineering firm providing custom ship design, conversion, heavy lift, and on-site engineering services to enterprise ship owners, yards, and offshore operators across Northern Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Naval and Maritime Engineering Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)

akta.pro primary industry

Production Design & Detailed Engineering (3D CAD, Drawings, BOM, Nesting) (IMAJAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore Wind Substructures & Marine Engineering (Monopiles, Jackets, Floating) (EUAMACAE), Subsea Construction & IMR Vessel Newbuilds (CSV, DSV, ROV Support) (IMAJACAD), Pipe-lay & Heavy-lift Offshore Vessel Construction (IMAJACAE), Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning) (IMAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Naval engineering services
• Ship design conversion
• Maritime engineering
• Offshore vessel design
• On-site engineering support

Headquarters

HQ city

Papendrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Services: Saltwater generates revenue by providing custom engineering solutions to the naval and offshore industry on a project basis. Services include Ship Design & Conversion, Maritime Engineering, and On-site Services, delivered by a team of experienced engineers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Saltwater Engineering B.V. provides tailor-made naval and maritime engineering solutions for the shipbuilding, offshore, heavy lift, yachting, and commercial shipping industries. The offering spans three core service lines — Ship Design & Conversion (concept through detailed engineering and system integrations), Maritime Engineering (deck integrations, vessel mobilizations, heavy lift and transport engineering, marine operations, equipment design), and On-site Services (weight and stability surveys, specialist surveys, on-site engineering support, interface engineering). In parallel, Saltwater develops R&D vessel prototypes such as Blue Sky (SOV), Blue Quest (offshore survey vessel), and Blue Dawn (mid-size SOV) for floating offshore wind and survey applications.

Product overview

Saltwater is a naval and maritime engineering company offering custom engineering solutions for the naval and offshore industry. The portfolio consists of three core service areas: Ship Design & Conversion (covering concept design through detailed engineering, system integrations, and sustainability studies), Maritime Engineering (including deck integrations, vessel mobilizations, heavy lift transport, and marine operations), and On-site Services (weight/stability surveys, specialist inspections, and on-site engineering support). The company also develops R&D prototype vessels including Blue Sky (SOV for floating offshore wind), Blue Quest (multifunctional offshore survey vessel), and Blue Dawn (mid-size SOV). Supporting offerings include downloadable calculation tools (dynamic blocks, loading condition calculator, vessel accelerations calculator) and knowledge resources such as whitepapers on BWTS, CII/EEXI regulations, inclining tests, and Hydrogenius hydrogen fuel solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Sky: Service Operation Vessel (SOV) design for floating offshore wind, featuring Walk to Work system and crew-focused accommodations
• Blue Quest
• Blue Dawn
• Hydrogenius
• Be Blue

Products and services

• Ship Design & Conversion Comprehensive naval engineering services covering concept design, basic engineering, detailed engineering, system integrations, and sustainability studies for newbuild vessels and ship conversions. Targeted at ship owners, shipyards, and offshore operators requiring newbuild designs or conversions to alternative fuels, survey roles, or offshore wind support.
• Maritime Engineering Engineering services including deck integrations, vessel mobilizations, heavy lift and transport engineering, marine operations engineering, and equipment design for demanding maritime environments. Serves operators and contractors in offshore, heavy lift, and commercial shipping sectors.
• On-site Services Field engineering services comprising weight and stability surveys, specialist inspections, on-site engineering support, and interface engineering support delivered at client locations. Used by ship owners and operators for regulatory surveys, post-modification stability verification, and scalable on-site engineering capacity.
• Blue Sky (Service Operation Vessel Design) R&D vessel concept for a Service Operation Vessel (SOV) designed for floating offshore wind applications, with a Walk-to-Work system for accessing floating wind structures, modular approach, and crew-oriented accommodations for extended offshore deployments. Developed for offshore wind operators and shipyards.
• Blue Quest (Offshore Survey Vessel Design) R&D vessel concept for a versatile offshore survey vessel equipped with a dropkeel for rapid sensor exchange, passive anti-roll tank for improved seakeeping, Voith Schneider propulsion for silent operation, and Low Pax philosophy for remote operations. Designed for geophysical surveys, geotechnical work, UXO detection/removal, and offshore wind farm inspection.
• Blue Dawn (Mid-size SOV Design) R&D vessel concept for a mid-size Service Operation Vessel (SOV) targeting floating offshore wind applications, building on Saltwater's SOV design expertise from Blue Sky.
• 3D Scanning Services 3D scanning services using lasers or sensors to capture millions of data points and create accurate digital point clouds of complex maritime environments such as engine rooms, piping systems, and structural components. Supports engineering, clash detection, reverse engineering, and digital twin applications for shipyards and ship owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saltwater designs low-emission vessels and SOVs for offshore wind farms, advising clients on IMO regulations such as EEXI, CII, and MARPOL, helping lower CO₂ emissions.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SBB (Samenwerkingsorganisatie Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven)minorOthersSaltwater Engineering is recognized as an SBB Approved Training Company (Erkend Leerbedrijf), providing internship opportunities for students through the company's Young Talent Academy program.
• Sectorinstituut Transport & LogistiekminorOthersIndustry association partnership providing recognition and alignment with Dutch transport and logistics sector standards.
• Maritime & Offshore NLminorOthersIndustry association membership connecting Saltwater with the broader Dutch maritime and offshore ecosystem.
• Energiek DordtminorOthersLocal economic development initiative in the Dordrecht region supporting business development and networking.
• Deal DrechtstedenminorOthersRegional collaboration platform for the Drechtsteden area, supporting economic and sustainable development initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dykstra Naval Architects: Amsterdam-based independent naval architecture practice with strong heritage in yacht design and commercial ship design/engineering — overlapping design-led service offering and Benelux footprint.
• Knud E. Hansen: Danish naval architecture firm offering vessel design, conversions, and engineering services to cruise, offshore, and commercial segments — comparable mid-size consultancy model with Northern European presence.
• C-Job Naval Architects: Independent Dutch-based naval architecture firm of comparable size offering ship design, conversion engineering, and support to yachting, offshore, and commercial shipping clients — direct functional overlap with Saltwater.
• Conoship International: Dutch ship design and engineering consultancy serving offshore wind, dredging, and short-sea segments with concept through detailed design services — closely comparable in scope and client base.
• Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam: Rotterdam-headquartered naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy delivering ship design and conversion services to offshore, dredging, and heavy-lift clients across Northern Europe.
• Groot Ship Design: Dutch independent ship design house providing basic and detailed engineering for offshore wind, dredging, fishing, and workboat newbuilds — directly comparable service portfolio and regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Wärtsilä: Global marine technology and engineering player providing ship design services, propulsion, and lifecycle solutions — competes for vessel conversion and decarbonization engineering work, particularly around alternative fuels.
• Royal HaskoningDHV: Global engineering consultancy with a maritime division covering ship design, ports, and offshore structures — overlaps with Saltwater on vessel and offshore engineering work but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• BMT Group: Large international maritime engineering consultancy offering ship design, offshore engineering, and naval architecture as part of a broader defense, energy, and transport portfolio — competes for the same scopes from a much larger base.

Regional players

• MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands): Wageningen-based maritime R&D institute providing hydrodynamic testing, simulation, and design support for shipbuilders and offshore developers — adjacent in capability space and Dutch-based but focused on research rather than commercial design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-Q9T0V9jdkEYPojoqE-vfA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saltwater-engineering

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saltwater