For the second time, the Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku has been selected for Business Finland’s leading company funding program, which challenges companies to increase their research, development, and innovation (RDI) investments in Finland. Meyer Turku’s MERiON – Future‑Ready Cruise Ships and Floating Infrastructure program will be implemented between 2026 and 2030.
MERiON continues Meyer Turku’s long-term RDI efforts following the previous NEcOLEAP program. The long-term objective of the new program is to ensure that Turku remains at the forefront of modern and technologically advanced shipbuilding also in the decades to come.
“The maritime industry is of strategic importance to Finland, and strong RDI activities enable us to maintain our leading position in international markets. Through MERiON, we can respond even better to our customers’ changing needs, strengthen our ecosystem, and create new business opportunities for the entire Finnish maritime cluster,” says Tom Degerman, Chief Commercial Officer at Meyer Turku.
MERiON Themes and Research Areas
MERiON projects are divided into three main clusters: 1) future operations, 2) future structures and materials, and 3) future maritime technologies.
The goal is to develop cruise ship concepts for the coming decades and to study floating structures that can be integrated into ships’ operating environments, allowing certain functions to be transferred from cruise ships to floating infrastructure.
“In MERiON, we develop technologies that respond both to increasingly stringent environmental requirements and to the needs of a rapidly changing business environment. Our research will focus particularly on circular economy solutions, digitalisation, structural design, clean energy solutions, and net zero materials,” Degerman explains.
Ecosystem Collaboration at the Core of the Program
The MERiON program is carried out in close collaboration with companies, universities, and research institutes. The aim of this cooperation is to strengthen the capabilities and global competitiveness of the entire ecosystem. Over the lifetime of the program, MERiON will increase the combined RDI investments of Meyer Turku and its ecosystem partners by up to EUR 85 million.
“Meyer Turku already has a strong and well-functioning partner network, but MERiON enables us to expand the ecosystem into new technology and competence areas,” Degerman adds.
The MERiON program is managed by the GT Lab, Meyer Turku’s open innovation unit.
by: Meyer Turku
photo: Meyer Turku
