Helsinki Shipyard will be one of the main partners of the Lux Helsinki light art festival this winter, using the event to spotlight the Polar Max icebreaker now under construction for the Canadian Coast Guard. The 2026 festival’s largest artwork, Rooms of Light, will feature the shipyard’s Hietalahti cranes, while steel block construction on Polar Max began in the summer in Helsinki and at Davie’s SATA Shipbuilding in the autumn.
ABB has secured a contract to supply the complete electric power and propulsion package for Polar Max, the new 22,800-tonne icebreaker being built for the Canadian Coast Guard. The vessel is being constructed by Helsinki Shipyard in Finland and Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec and is expected to enter service by 2030.
Davie Shipbuilding has appointed Mika Heiskanen as CEO for its Finland operations, covering Helsinki Shipyard and the recently acquired SATA Shipbuilding in Pori. Heiskanen will coordinate the two yards in Finland alongside managing directors Kim Salmi and Niko Suomela. Davie said the direct workforce of its Finland companies is expected to rise by at least 650 employees over the next two years.
Helsinki Shipyard has selected PipeCloud for a digital system to manage pipe prefabrication at the yard in Helsinki. The agreement is tied to the yard’s ramp-up under Davie ownership, with managing director Kim Salmi saying the platform will help with precision, speed and control.
Davie has agreed to acquire Enersense Offshore Oy, the Enersense Marine and Offshore Unit in Pori, Finland. The deal is subject to closing conditions expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. Helsinki Shipyard said the unit’s steel production in Mäntyluoto will support the Polar Max heavy icebreaker project, with steel work to begin as soon as possible and vessel construction in Helsinki due to start in August.
