Naos Ship & Boat Design

What Naos Ship & Boat Design does

Naos Ship & Boat Design S.r.l. is a Trieste-based naval architecture and ship design consultancy founded in 1993, with a particular specialization in Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) cargo ships and RoPax-Ferries. The firm delivers the full design lifecycle — feasibility studies, initial and basic design, structural calculations, classification drawings, hydrodynamic and stability analysis, and production-ready workshop drawings — primarily to shipyards, ferry operators, and Ro-Ro shipping companies. Its core engineering capabilities include 3D hull modeling, finite element structural analysis, CFD-based hydrodynamic optimization, and the development of proprietary design and analysis software. A secondary luxury-yacht design practice serves confidential high-net-worth clients.

The firm is the originator of the WSM (Wing Sail Module), a modular rigid folding-wing wind-assisted propulsion system under development since 2014 and now evolving through WSM 1.0 (deployed on GNV Bridge in 2021) and WSM 2.0 (under the WINDS project from 2025). R&D intensity exceeds 15% of turnover, with active consortia including the Friuli Venezia Giulia-funded WEPAS project (€570,639.35 grant) and partnerships with Airworks SRL, Alping Italia, Concrane, the University of Trieste, and the University of Udine. The OptiSail project (2026) extends the firm into digital performance-prediction tooling for Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) vessels.

Naos operates as a group of wholly-owned subsidiaries across Italy (HQ), Sweden (ScandiNAOS AB, Gothenburg), Croatia (ANEMOS D.O.O., Split), and Spain (NAOS Ship and Boat Design S.L., Barcelona), with 40 total employees and more than 50% of annual sales derived from international markets. Revenue is generated primarily through B2B professional-services fees for design and consultancy contracts, supplemented by licensing of proprietary software and design tools, with no publicly disclosed pricing model.

Name

Naos Ship & Boat Design

Legal name

Naos Ship & Boat Design s.r.l.

Website

https://naos-design.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Naos Ship & Boat Design is a Trieste-based naval architecture consultancy founded in 1993, specializing in Ro-Ro cargo ship and RoPax-Ferry design, and developing the WSM wind-assisted propulsion module for shipyards, ferry operators, and Ro-Ro shipping companies across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Naval Architecture and Ship Design Services

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Concept & Feasibility Naval Architecture (Requirements, Trade Studies) (IMAJAGAA), Stability, Weight & Load Analysis (Intact/Damage Stability, Weight Control) (IMAJAGAI), Safety, Risk & Compliance Engineering (SOLAS, Class Rules, HAZID/HAZOP, FMEA) (IMAJAGAJ), Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO), Luxury Yacht Prototype, One-Off & Concept Build Programs (IMAJAMAL)

Keywords

• Naval architecture services
• Ship design consultancy
• Ro-Ro vessel design
• Ro-Pax ferry design
• Wind-assisted propulsion

Headquarters

HQ city

Trieste

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ship Design Services: Core business providing naval architecture and ship design services including initial design, basic design, structural calculations, hull classification drawings, and workshop drawings for ship owners and shipyards.
2. Consultancy Services: Technical consultancy for Owners and/or yards, feasibility studies, dimensions optimisation, ship's cost evaluation, preliminary technical specification, surveys and inspections.
3. Software Solutions: Development of design and analysis software tools including performance prediction tools for wind-assisted propulsion systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Naos Ship & Boat Design is a naval architecture consultancy delivering complete ship design packages for Ro-Ro cargo ships, Ro-Pax ferries, and luxury yachts, spanning feasibility studies, basic design, structural calculations, classification drawings, hydrodynamic/stability analysis, and production-ready workshop drawings. The firm also develops and licenses the proprietary WSM (Wing Sail Module) — a modular rigid folding wing for wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP) — and accompanying performance-prediction software tools.

Product overview

Naos Ship and Boat Design is a ship design consultancy established in 1993, offering a comprehensive portfolio of naval architecture and engineering services. The core offering centers on the design of Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) ships and RoPax-Ferries (passenger/vehicle carriers), complemented by yacht design services. The company has developed proprietary wind propulsion technology through its WSM (Wing Sail Module) product line—a rigid folding wing system that integrates wind energy into ship propulsion to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. This technology has evolved through multiple generations (WSM 1.0 to WSM 2.0) and is supported by R&D initiatives including the WEPAS, WINDS, and OptiSail projects. Services span the full design lifecycle from initial feasibility studies through construction documentation, including structural engineering, hydrodynamic analysis, and classification society liaison. The company operates as a group with subsidiaries in Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Sweden, serving an international client base with more than 50% of annual sales from export markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WSM (Wing Sail Module): An innovative rigid folding wing module that exploits wind energy to reduce the use of fossil fuels in ship propulsion.

Products and services

• Ro-Ro Ship Design Complete naval architecture design services for Roll-on/Roll-off cargo ships, including initial design, basic design, structural calculations, hull classification drawings, and production-ready workshop drawings, delivered to ship owners and shipyards worldwide.
• RoPax-Ferry Design Naval architecture and design services for Roll-on/Roll-off passenger ferries combining cargo and passenger accommodations, including stability analysis, machinery arrangement, structural design, and classification documentation for operators such as Stena, Grimaldi and DFDS.
• Yacht Design Naval architecture services for luxury yachts, including hull form optimization, structural design, and hydrodynamic analysis, delivered to confidential clients and superyacht builders.
• WSM (Wing Sail Module) wind-assisted propulsion system Proprietary wind-assisted ship propulsion module consisting of a rigid folding wing that harnesses wind energy to reduce fossil fuel consumption in ship propulsion; can be installed on various ship types in modular multiple-unit configurations, with versions WSM 1.0 and WSM 2.0.
• Ship Design Consultancy Comprehensive consultancy services for ship owners and yards, including feasibility studies, dimensions optimization, ship's cost evaluation, preliminary technical specifications, and surveys and inspections.
• Structural Engineering Services Structural calculations per classification society rules, direct structural analysis with finite elements, hull classification drawings, structural workshop drawings, and 3D modeling documentation including N.C. cutting data.
• Hull Form and Hydrodynamic Design Fast-ship hull form design, hydrodynamic optimization, stability analysis, and CFD services to improve vessel performance and operational efficiency.
• Proprietary Ship Design Software Development Development of proprietary design and analysis software tools, including performance prediction tools for wind-assisted propulsion systems and project documentation platforms supporting ship design workflows.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces fuel consumption and pollutant emissions in maritime transport through wind-assisted propulsion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Airworks SRLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2025Project partner in the WINDS project (Wing-Implemented Navigation for Decarbonized Shipping) for the development of the WSM 2.0 Wing Sail Module.
• Alping Italia SrlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2025Project partner in the WINDS project for the design and development of the WSM 2.0 Wing Sail Module.
• UNITS (University of Trieste)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2025Academic partner in the WINDS project collaborating on the development of the WSM 2.0 Wing Sail Module for wind-assisted ship propulsion.
• Concrane SrlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2021Collaboration partner in the WEPAS project (Wind Energy Propulsion Aid for Ships). Concrane handled the final assembly of the WSM wing blade prototype. Part of the group awarded a regional grant from Friuli Venezia Giulia (570,639.35 euros) for wind propulsion technology development.
• University of UdinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2021Academic partner in the WEPAS project consortium for wind-assisted propulsion technology development.
• IWSA (International Windship Association)strategicOthers · 13 October 2020Member of the International Windship Association since October 2020, demonstrating commitment to wind propulsion and sustainable shipping technologies.
• ScandiNAOS ABcoreOthers · 1 September 2005Wholly-owned subsidiary established in September 2005 to serve the Scandinavian market with ship design services.
• Aker FinnyardsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2005Aker Finnyards used the Kronodoc software solution managed by NAOS for file and documentation management in their ship design projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wärtsilä: Wärtsilä is a major marine technology supplier with ship design, propulsion and decarbonization solutions, including wind-assisted and hybrid systems that overlap with Naos' WSM and structural design services. Broad incumbent comparable through both design and propulsion offerings.
• BMT Group: BMT is a large UK-based maritime engineering consultancy offering naval architecture, vessel design and asset management across many ship types. A broad incumbent peer providing overlapping capabilities to Naos but at materially larger scale and a wider portfolio.
• Fincantieri: Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilders with substantial in-house naval architecture capability serving ferries, Ro-Ro and cruise vessels. A broad incumbent peer that competes for design influence on European ferry newbuilds and can insource work Naos would otherwise perform.

Emerging players

• Bound4Blue: Bound4Blue is a Spanish startup developing rigid wind-assisted propulsion sails for commercial ships. Comparable to Naos' WSM technology as an emerging player in wind propulsion but with a more product-focused, VC-backed model.
• BAR Technologies (Wavespray): BAR Technologies developed the WindWings rigid wing sail system installed on Cargill's Pyxis Ocean. An emerging player in wind-assisted propulsion with overlapping ambition to Naos' WSM but with higher-profile commercial validation to date.

Direct peers

• Deltamarin: Deltamarin is a Finnish ship design company specializing in conceptual and basic design for cruise ships, ferries and Ro-Ro vessels. It is the closest direct peer to Naos given its parallel focus on Ro-Pax/Ro-Ro naval architecture and similar headcount scale.
• Conoship International: Conoship International is a Dutch ship design and engineering firm offering concept, basic and detail design across cargo ships, tankers and specialized vessels. Comparable to Naos as a mid-sized independent naval architecture house serving European commercial vessel operators.
• Knud E. Hansen: Knud E. Hansen is a Danish naval architecture firm with a long heritage (founded 1938) specializing in cruise ferries, Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax vessels. Directly comparable to Naos in niche, vessel type, and customer base of European ferry operators.

Others

• DNV (Maritime Advisory): DNV is a classification society and maritime advisory that performs independent design verification and increasingly offers design services to yards. Comparable to Naos as an ecosystem participant serving ferry and Ro-Ro builders, with overlap on classification compliance consulting.

Regional players

• MSC Cruise / Ship Design subsidiaries: Several large shipping groups (including MSC-linked operations and similar Italian/Mediterranean players) operate in-house or affiliated design offices serving ferries and Ro-Ro in the Mediterranean. Regional peer where overlap with Naos exists in ferry/Ro-Ro design projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NaosShipBoatDesignSrl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naos-ship-and-boat-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Naos Ship & Boat Design