HSVA

Name

HSVA

Legal name

Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt GmbH

Website

https://hsva.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Testing and Engineering Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydrodynamics & Performance Engineering (Resistance, Propulsion, Seakeeping, Maneuvering) (IMAJAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concept & Feasibility Naval Architecture (Requirements, Trade Studies) (IMAJAGAA), Production Design & Detailed Engineering (3D CAD, Drawings, BOM, Nesting) (IMAJAGAK), Propulsion Integration, Commissioning & Testing (Factory/sea trials, alignment) (IMAJAHAM)

Keywords

• Ship model testing
• CFD simulation
• Marine engineering
• Naval architecture
• Sea trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Research and Consultancy Services: HSVA generates revenue through providing experimental investigations and numerical simulation services to the maritime industry. Projects include model testing, CFD analysis, design and optimisation services for ships and offshore structures. Revenue is project-based with consulting services.
2. Software Licensing and Tools: Revenue from providing access to proprietary numerical simulation tools and software developed in-house for maritime hydrodynamic and aerodynamic applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HSVA provides experimental and numerical marine engineering services including scale model testing in towing tanks, CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and numerical simulation, ship design and optimization support, and full-scale field measurements/sea trials. The organization also develops proprietary software tools and operates unique facilities such as the HYKAT Cavitation Tunnel, Large Towing Tank, and Large Ice Tank for maritime research and certification work.

Product overview

HSVA (Hamburg Ship Model Basin) is a research and consulting service provider for the maritime industry, not a software product company. Its offering consists of experimental testing services and proprietary numerical simulation tools. The core services include Model Testing (scale model testing in facilities including Large Towing Tank, HYKAT cavitation tunnel, and Ice Tank), Numerical Methods/CFD (using in-house solvers FreSCo+, νShallo, QCM, and EcoLibrium), Design and Optimisation, Field Measurements (sea trials), Manufacturing, and Equipment design. The in-house software tools (FreSCo+, νShallo, QCM, EcoLibrium) complement the experimental services but are not sold as standalone products. SDC, a subsidiary company, extends the service portfolio with stability calculations, FEM strength calculations, and design consultancy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model Testing Services
• CFD and Numerical Simulation Services
• Design and Optimization Services
• Field Measurements and Sea Trials
• Manufacturing and Equipment Services

Quantifiable outcome

• HSVA's PSS design proved 6-7% power gain in dedicated sea trials
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kolumbus (Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Kolumbus coordinates the EU Horizon 2020 TrAM project. HSVA takes the leading role in hydrodynamic optimisation of a battery-driven catamaran's hull form. The project aims to develop zero-emission fast-going passenger vessels through advanced modular production.
• National Technical University of AthenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on numerical and experimental studies on the resistance of fast catamarans, including the battery-driven zero-emissions high-speed catamaran MS Medstraum under the EU TrAM project.
• EU Horizon 2020 TrAM Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner13 stakeholders of the European maritime industry collaborating to develop zero emission fast going passenger vessels through advanced modular production, focusing on electrically powered vessels operating in coastal areas and inland waterways.
• EU Horizon 2020 FLARE Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner19 key stakeholders from industry, academia and policy makers developing a risk-based methodology for 'live' flooding risk assessment and control for passenger ships. HSVA concentrates on numerical simulation of damaged RoPax ships in waves.
• EU Horizon 2020 GATERS ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner13 European partners coordinated by University of Strathclyde designing, manufacturing and installing a retrofit Gate Rudder System (GRS) for demonstrating effectiveness through sea trials and voyage monitoring.
• EU Horizon 2020 AIRCOAT ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassive air lubrication technology project developing a foil inspired by the Salvinia effect to produce thin permanent air layer on ship-hull surfaces for reducing frictional resistance and emissions.
• SAMSON ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive partners under lead of VDVB (Van der Velden Barkemeyer) investigating active and passive flow control for shipbuilding applications targeting manoeuvring, seakeeping characteristics and power demand.
• SDC (Ship Design Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSVA's subsidiary company providing complementary services including custom made concept designs, class/basic designs, stability calculation, FEM strength calculation, and consultancy services. Website: www.shipdesign.de
• MarTERA ERA-NET Twin-crp-pod ULCS ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix consortium partners developing measurement and testing techniques for innovative propulsion systems for Ultra-Large Container Ships using twin skeg arrangement with contra-rotating pods.
• MariData ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEleven leading partners from maritime industry developing comprehensive technologies for energy management of ships and associated emissions reduction, creating an energy management and decision support system.
• FAMOS Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGermany's major model basins including HSVA developing a test facility of the future for investigation of ships and offshore structures in waves, wind and currents. Led by German Shipbuilding and Ocean Industries Association (VSM).
• ITTC (International Towing Tank Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSVA is a founding member of ITTC and a leading institution with regards to the definition of new standards and services in the maritime testing industry.
• Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman federal ministry funding multiple HSVA research projects including SAMSON, DEffProForm, MegaYachtSchaum, and MariData under the Maritime Forschungsprogramm.
• Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Information Technology (BMWi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding body for FAMOS project and MegaYachtSchaum research project targeting replacement of traditional epoxy filler methods with PUR foam for yacht hull surfaces.
• Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman federal ministry funding the German part of the MarTERA ERA-NET Twin-crp-pod ULCS project.
• MOSAiC ExpeditioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSVA participated in the biggest arctic expedition of all times, contributing expertise in arctic technology and wave-ice interaction research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Lloyd's Register: Lloyd's Register is a classification society and maritime technical services provider performing ship classification, structural verification, and advisory services. It is both a certifying body for HSVA (ISO 9001) and an adjacent maritime testing/standards authority whose rules drive demand for HSVA's testing services.

Broad incumbents

• DHI: DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute) provides maritime and water-environment modeling, CFD software (MIKE), and consulting for ports, coastal engineering, and ship operations. While broader than HSVA (including environmental and coastal work), DHI directly competes in maritime CFD and ship hydrodynamics services.
• BMT Group: BMT is an international maritime engineering consultancy offering ship design, hydrodynamic analysis, and offshore engineering services. It competes with HSVA in ship design, CFD, and technical consultancy for commercial and naval clients, though BMT operates more broadly as a design house rather than a model testing institute.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global classification society and testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company that performs marine surveys, sea trials, and offshore verification. While far broader than HSVA, Bureau Veritas competes in maritime testing and certification, and is also a key client and ISO 9001 certifier relationship for HSVA.

Direct peers

• MARIN: Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) is one of the world's leading ship hydrodynamics research institutes, operating towing tanks, cavitation tunnels, and ocean basin facilities for model testing and CFD. It is the closest direct peer to HSVA in terms of facilities, services, and customer base (shipbuilders, shipowners, navies).
• CSSRC: China Ship Scientific Research Center (CSSRC) is one of China's largest ship hydrodynamics research institutes, operating large model basins and CFD capabilities. It serves a comparable role to HSVA in model testing, seakeeping, propulsion, and ship design research for the Chinese shipbuilding industry.
• KRISO: Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) is a government-backed Korean ship hydrodynamics research institute operating large towing tanks and cavitation facilities. It is a direct peer to HSVA in fundamental research, model testing, and CFD services, with significant Asian shipbuilder client base.
• SSPA Sweden: SSPA is a Swedish maritime research and consulting company offering model testing, CFD, and ship design services to shipbuilders and shipowners globally. It directly competes with HSVA in hydrodynamic testing, propeller analysis, and ship performance optimization, with a similar project-based B2B service model.
• FORCE Technology: FORCE Technology is a Danish technology consultancy with a maritime division offering model testing, CFD, structural testing, and offshore services. It is comparable to HSVA across experimental and numerical ship hydrodynamics and serves overlapping clients in Northern European shipbuilding and offshore markets.

Regional players

• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: VTT is a Finnish state-owned applied research organization with maritime research activities including ice-class testing and ship hydrodynamics. It is comparable to HSVA as a government-affiliated maritime research peer, with particularly strong overlap in ice technology and Arctic ship testing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hamburgische-schiffbau-versuchsanstalt-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 HSVA