Gunnar Pihl

What Gunnar Pihl does

Pihl Expert GmbH, doing business as Pihl Expert and led by Managing Director Gunnar Pihl, is a multi-disciplinary surveying, engineering and technology consultancy headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The firm traces its maritime heritage to the Pihl marine activities established in 1902 and has operated under its current legal form since 2008, positioning itself as a specialist in the offshore and marine industries. Its addressable mandate spans the offshore project lifecycle, from construction observation, quality assurance, project controlling, and procurement assistance, through to marine warranty surveys, hull and machinery surveys, repair evaluation, and expert testimony in arbitration proceedings.

The company's service portfolio is built around four reinforcing pillars: Offshore Industries Services (covering naval architecture, mechanical engineering, HSE supervision, FROSIO-certified coating inspection, welding inspection, and ROV services); Hull and Machinery Services (vessel and machinery surveys, repair evaluation, and repair supervision); Specialized Inspection Techniques (ultrasonic leakage detection, ultrasonic thickness measurement, and underwater inspection); and Rope Access Services for difficult-to-reach offshore and maritime locations. Delivery is enabled by a multi-disciplinary team of naval architects, master mariners, chief engineers, welding and coating inspectors, and ROV pilots, with FROSIO certification providing a documented qualification for coating inspection scopes.

The firm sells through a direct, sales-led B2B professional services model with no intermediaries, relying on industry reputation, existing client relationships, and referrals rather than active marketing. Customers are concentrated in the German offshore wind sector and span utilities, project developers, general contractors, manufacturing companies, insurance companies, and banks, with documented work across major German offshore wind parks including Bard Offshore 1, Alpha Ventus, Riffgat, Baltic 1, Dan Tysk, Global Tech I, MEG 1, Arkona Becken SE, Borkum West II, He Dreiht/Hohe See, Amrum Bank West, and Nordsee Ost. Revenue is generated through customized, quote-based professional service engagements tied to specific project requirements, with no publicly disclosed pricing.

Name

Gunnar Pihl

Legal name

Pihl Expert GmbH

Website

https://pihl-expert.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pihl Expert GmbH is a Hamburg-based multi-disciplinary surveying, engineering, and technology consultancy specializing in offshore and marine inspection, hull and machinery surveys, and coating and welding inspection for utilities, project developers, contractors, manufacturers, and insurers in the German offshore wind sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Offshore Engineering & Marine Surveying Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Surveys, Testing & NDT (Thickness Gauging, UT/MPI, Pressure Testing, Commissioning) (TLAHAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI), Underwater Hull Services (Diving, In-Water Cleaning, Propeller Polishing, Inspection) (TLAHAMAL), Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Offshore surveying services
• Marine engineering consultancy
• Hull machinery inspection
• Offshore wind consulting
• Rope access inspection

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Expert reports, technical advice, arbitration support, and consulting services for offshore projects, damage assessment, and marine surveying. Revenue generated through professional service engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Pihl Expert GmbH provides multi-disciplinary surveying, engineering and technology consultancy services to the offshore wind and maritime industries. Core offerings include construction observation, quality assurance, marine warranty surveys, risk and safety analysis, naval architecture and mechanical engineering, HSE supervision, FROSIO-certified coating inspection, welding inspection, ROV services, vessel and machinery surveys, repair evaluation, and expert witness/arbitration support, delivered via rope access and specialized inspection techniques such as ultrasonic leakage detection and thickness measurement.

Product overview

Pihl Expert GmbH is a multi-disciplinary surveying, engineering and technology consultancy company offering a unified portfolio of offshore, hull and machinery, and transport-related services. The core offering consists of Offshore Industries Services (covering construction observation, quality assurance, risk analysis, marine warranty surveys, naval architecture and mechanical engineering, HSE supervision, FROSIO-certified coating inspection, welding inspection, and ROV services) supported by Hull and Machinery Services (vessel and machinery surveys, repair evaluation, and supervision). These services are enhanced by Specialized Inspection Techniques (ultrasonic leakage detection, thickness measurement, underwater inspection) and delivered via Rope Access Services for difficult access areas. The company serves utilities, project developers, general contractors, manufacturing companies, and insurance companies in the offshore and maritime industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Offshore Industries Services Comprehensive offshore consulting and inspection services for utilities, project developers, contractors, manufacturers, and insurers investing in offshore wind and marine projects. Services include arbitration support, construction observation, quality assurance, procurement assistance, risk and safety analysis, marine warranty surveys, project controlling, process safety consulting, naval architecture and mechanical engineering, HSE supervision, FROSIO-certified coating inspection, welding inspection, and ROV services delivered with rope access.
• Hull and Machinery Services Vessel and machinery survey services including surveys, repair evaluation, and repair supervision for hull and machinery components, for offshore equipment and vessel manufacturers and owners.
• Specialized Inspection Techniques Advanced inspection capabilities including ultrasonic leakage detection, ultrasonic thickness measurement, and underwater inspection, used to support and enhance the firm's broader offshore and hull & machinery service offerings.
• Rope Access Services Inspection and services delivered via rope access technique, enabling access to difficult-to-reach areas in offshore and maritime environments in support of the firm's broader service offerings.

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV SÜD: Global TIC firm with a dedicated offshore wind and wind energy service line offering certification, inspection, and condition monitoring to many of the same German and European offshore wind developers as Pihl Expert.
• Intertek: International TIC group providing inspection, certification, and testing services across marine, offshore, and energy sectors, including offshore wind QA services that overlap with Pihl Expert's scope.
• SGS: Global TIC company with marine, offshore, and industrial inspection offerings, including marine warranty survey and offshore project services comparable to Pihl Expert's portfolio.
• DNV: Global classification society and TIC firm with a large offshore wind and marine advisory practice, providing marine warranty surveys, certification, and verification to many of the same developers and projects that Pihl Expert serves.
• Bureau Veritas: International TIC and marine classification group with marine warranty survey, offshore, and hull-and-machinery services that overlap significantly with Pihl Expert's offshore QA, marine warranty, and H&M offerings.
• RINA: Classification society and marine/offshore certification provider offering marine warranty survey, energy advisory, and offshore project services that directly overlap with Pihl Expert's scope.

Direct peers

• Cathie Associates: Independent offshore geoscience and engineering consultancy with a strong offshore wind practice, providing geotechnical, geophysical, and cable-engineering advisory that competes for the same offshore wind projects Pihl Expert serves.
• 2H Offshore (Acteon): Part of the Acteon group, 2H Offshore provides offshore engineering and integrity management services to the offshore wind and oil & gas sectors, competing for offshore structural and marine warranty work.
• IKM Consulting (IKM Group): Norway-based inspection, subsea, and offshore services group providing underwater inspection, rope access, and offshore engineering that closely overlaps with Pihl Expert's underwater inspection and rope access offshore capabilities.
• LOC Group: Marine and offshore engineering consultancy specializing in marine warranty surveys, loss prevention, and offshore project support — a direct competitor in the same marine warranty and offshore advisory niche as Pihl Expert.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pihl-expert-gmbh

Compliance1 record

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 Gunnar Pihl