VEKA Group
VEKA Group is a privately held Dutch shipbuilder (founded 1988) that designs and constructs custom inland, seagoing, offshore, LNG, and passenger vessels for maritime operators, shipping companies, and logistics enterprises across Europe and Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersWerkendam, Netherlands
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What VEKA Group does
VEKA Group is a privately held Dutch shipbuilder founded in 1988 and headquartered in Werkendam, Netherlands. The company designs, constructs, and delivers custom vessels across multiple maritime segments: inland navigation vessels (tankers, dry cargo, container vessels, barge combinations), seagoing ships (multi-purpose coasters, bitumen tankers, cement carriers under the Bijlsma Trader series), offshore support vessels and workboats (including the world's first hybrid trimarans for offshore wind), passenger ferries and luxury river cruise ships such as the MS William Shakespeare, LNG-powered vessels, seagoing pontoons, and pushboats. Notable technological capabilities include pioneering LNG propulsion (Pioneer Knutsen, 2004), IMO 2050-compliant vessel designs with approximately 20% fuel reduction (Bijlsma Trader 6000), Veth's dual Z-Drive rudder propeller system, and ongoing R&D in the VEKA Vortex, Hexa Tetra Propeller (HTP), and LNG Dual Fuel innovation programs.
The business model is project-based, one-off shipbuilding under direct sales engagement with maritime operators, shipping companies, and government entities. VEKA operates a global turnkey model: standardized hulls are built at international construction sites in Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia) and Asia (China), with finishing, outfitting, and project management centralized at its Dutch shipyards in Werkendam, Lemmer (acquired from Bijlsma Group in March 2004), and Wieringerwerf (Jongert luxury yacht facility). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and quotes are issued per vessel; revenue is generated through one-time project contracts rather than recurring agreements. Named enterprise customers include Shell Trading Rotterdam, Imperial Logistics International, Plouvier Transport, World Marine Offshore, and Longship Group BV, with vessels delivered as turnkey solutions under a single-point-of-contact engagement model.
The company maintains a personal customer approach and in-house design capability. Notable contracts include a €21 million deal for two Bijlsma Trader 6000 vessels from Longship Group BV (March 2021), a 15-vessel LNG dual-fuel barge program for Plouvier Transport/Shell with staggered 2015-2019 deliveries, and the world's first hybrid trimarans for World Marine Offshore (2017). Ownership remains with founder Peter Versluis; no external investment or private equity backing is disclosed.
VEKA Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VEKA Group
- Legal name
- VEKA Group
- Website
- https://vekagroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- VEKA Group is a privately held Dutch shipbuilder (founded 1988) that designs and constructs custom inland, seagoing, offshore, LNG, and passenger vessels for maritime operators, shipping companies, and logistics enterprises across Europe and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VEKA Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Shipbuilding
- NAICS
- Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Boat Building (336612)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Passenger Ferries & Water Taxis (Fast Ferries, RoPax, Catamarans) (IMAJADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dredging Support & Utility Workboats (Dredge Tenders, Barges, Utility Boats) (IMAJADAJ)
Keywords
Where VEKA Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Werkendam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices17 records
Markets served
VEKA Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Shipbuilding and Construction: VEKA generates revenue through building custom vessels for clients including inland navigation vessels, seagoing ships, offshore support vessels, passenger ferries, LNG-powered vessels, and specialized craft. Ships can be delivered as turnkey solutions with full construction and finishing accommodated by VEKA. Standardized hulls are built for stock at shipyards in Eastern Europe or China, with custom builds also available.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
VEKA Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VEKA Group is a Dutch shipbuilder that designs, constructs and delivers custom maritime vessels for inland waterway transport, seagoing shipping, offshore support, passenger transport, and LNG propulsion. Vessels are built to client specifications at shipyards in the Netherlands, Eastern Europe and Asia, with turnkey finishing in the Netherlands. The portfolio includes tankers, dry cargo vessels, multi-purpose coasters (Bijlsma Trader series), Multipurpose Catamarans, hybrid trimarans, LNG dual-fuel barges, luxury river cruisers, pontoons and pushboats.
Product overview
VEKA Group is a Dutch shipbuilding company established in 1988, offering a comprehensive portfolio of vessels across multiple market segments. The company's core offerings span inland navigation vessels (tankers, dry cargo, container vessels, barge combinations), seagoing vessels (coasters, bitumen tankers, cement carriers), offshore support vessels and workboats (including Multipurpose Catamarans), passenger vessels and ferries (including luxury river cruisers), LNG-powered vessels, pontoons, and pushboats. VEKA operates a unique global turnkey concept, constructing standardised hulls in joint ventures abroad (Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, China, Serbia) with finishing at their Netherlands facilities in Werkendam and Lemmer. The product lineup includes specialized series such as the Bijlsma Trader 6000 multi-purpose seagoing vessels, hybrid trimarans for offshore wind farm support (first in the world), LNG dual-fuel barges for Shell and other operators, and premium passenger vessels like the MS William Shakespeare river cruiser. The company positions itself as offering cost benefits through in-house development and production facilities, providing ships as turnkey solutions with personalised customer approach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately 20% reduced fuel consumption compared to similar tonnages
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use VEKA Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
VEKA Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
VEKA Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Longship Group BVcoreLongship Group BV placed €21m order for two Bijlsma Trader 6000 vessels at VEKA's Bijlsma Shipyard Lemmer. The deal is a joint venture between Longship and VMS Shipping Group where both have equal share. Longship handles commercial management while VMS handles technical management. First vessel due Q4 2021, second Q1 2022.
- VMS Shipping GroupcoreVMS Shipping Group is joint venture partner with Longship for the €21m vessel order, responsible for technical management. Founded in 2012, VMS has achieved stable growth through third-party vessel management and vessel participation.
- Imperial Gas Barging GmbHminorImperial Logistics International operates through Imperial Gas Barging GmbH which currently operates 17 gas tankers. VEKA built two new gas tankers (Imperial Gas 92 & 93) to replace older decommissioned vessels.
- Shell Trading Rotterdam BVcoreShell chartered first inland dual-fuel LNG barge (RPG Stuttgart) built by VEKA for Plouvier Transport under time-charter agreement signed December 2015 for 15 inland dual-fuel barges.
- World Marine OffshorecoreDanish shipping company World Marine Offshore ordered two hybrid trimarans from VEKA for offshore wind farm personnel and freight transport in Europe. These are the first hybrid trimarans in the world, delivered Q3 2017.
- Plouvier Transport NVcorePlouvier Transport NV (part of Plouvier Group N.V.) time-chartered LNG dual-fuel barges built by VEKA for Shell, with staggered delivery between 2015-2019.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VEKA Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Meyer Werft: Large German shipbuilder primarily focused on cruise ships and large ferries. Comparable to VEKA's passenger vessel business (e.g., MS William Shakespeare river cruises) but operating at substantially larger scale with different customer profile.
- Fassmer: German shipyard with broader portfolio spanning offshore support vessels, patrol boats, lifeboats, and passenger vessels. Comparable to VEKA in offshore and passenger segments but operating at larger scale and across more vessel types.
- Astilleros Armón: Spanish shipbuilder with broad portfolio in offshore support vessels, fishing vessels, tugs, and special vessels. Comparable to VEKA's offshore support and multipurpose vessel offerings, with similar European commercial focus.
- Ulstein: Norwegian shipyard and design company specializing in offshore vessels, including offshore wind service vessels and CTVs. Comparable to VEKA in offshore support vessel design and construction with stronger North Sea exposure.
Direct peers
- Damen Shipyards Group: Dutch shipbuilder with a much broader product portfolio across inland, seagoing, offshore, naval, and workboat segments. Directly comparable to VEKA in inland navigation, offshore support, and passenger vessel categories, though Damen operates at significantly larger scale globally.
- Holland Shipyards Group: Dutch shipbuilder specializing in ferries, patrol vessels, and inland/sea vessels. Closely comparable to VEKA in inland navigation and passenger vessel construction, with similar scale and a focus on European commercial customers.
- De Hoop Scheepswerf: Dutch shipyard building offshore support vessels, special vessels, and ferries. Directly comparable to VEKA's offshore support and passenger vessel offerings with similar Dutch mid-market positioning.
- Royal Bodewes: Dutch shipbuilder focused on inland navigation vessels, similar to VEKA's core inland tanker and dry cargo business. Comparable in size, geography, and product specialization.
Emerging players
- Strategic Marine: Singapore- and Australia-based specialist builder of aluminum crew transfer vessels, catamarans, and offshore wind support craft. Directly comparable to VEKA's Multipurpose Catamaran and hybrid trimaran product lines for offshore wind.
- Incat: Australian specialist builder of large aluminum catamarans and fast ferries. Comparable to VEKA's passenger vessel and Multipurpose Catamaran offerings with similar technology platform (lightweight aluminum, high-speed hulls).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VEKA Group social profiles
Digital presenceVEKA Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VEKA Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
VEKA Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
VEKA Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VEKA Group 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 VEKA Group
What does VEKA Group do?
VEKA Group is a Dutch shipbuilder that designs, constructs and delivers custom maritime vessels for inland waterway transport, seagoing shipping, offshore support, passenger transport, and LNG propulsion. Vessels are built to client specifications at shipyards in the Netherlands, Eastern Europe and Asia, with turnkey finishing in the Netherlands. The portfolio includes tankers, dry cargo vessels, multi-purpose coasters (Bijlsma Trader series), Multipurpose Catamarans, hybrid trimarans, LNG dual-fuel barges, luxury river cruisers, pontoons and pushboats.
Is VEKA Group a public or private company?
VEKA Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was VEKA Group founded?
VEKA Group was founded in 1988. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is VEKA Group based?
VEKA Group is headquartered in Werkendam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does VEKA Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: shipbuilding and Construction.
Who are VEKA Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Meyer Werft, Fassmer, Astilleros Armón and Ulstein. Direct peers are Damen Shipyards Group, Holland Shipyards Group, De Hoop Scheepswerf and Royal Bodewes. Emerging players are Strategic Marine and Incat.
Does VEKA Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for VEKA Group.
What industry is VEKA Group in?
VEKA Group's product category is Commercial Shipbuilding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJADAC, Passenger Ferries & Water Taxis (Fast Ferries, RoPax, Catamarans), with a secondary code of IMAJADAJ, Dredging Support & Utility Workboats (Dredge Tenders, Barges, Utility Boats). Its NAICS code is 3366 and its SIC code is 3730.