Kongsberg Maritime brings fresh focus to the superyacht engineering market

Kongsberg Maritime, a ship engineering and technology provider well known in the offshore energy industry, has created dedicated sales and engineering teams focused on the superyacht sector. Adnan Grizovic, senior aftermarket sales manager for yachts at Kongsberg Maritime, says that even though Kongsberg Maritime equipment has been deployed on at least 250 new-build superyachts over 70 metres since 2000, the company did not have a dedicated aftermarket team in place until 2025.

Grizovic reckons that Kongsberg Maritime’s extensive experience in offshore operations provides a strong foundation in safe, secure operations that owners will appreciate. Ship automation and control systems, as well as bridge engineering and propulsion solutions, are all part of the engineering package that Kongsberg offers.

“In the offshore segment, safety is the main priority. You can transfer that experience into the superyacht world as well, because we see that builders and buyers want greater commercial standardisation on their superyachts,” says Grizovic. “They want to apply the same rules and regulations as a major offshore installation. We deliver certificates for all our systems.”

Grizovic and Tor Vegar Gulbrandsen, sales manager for yachts, cruise ships, and ferries at Kongsberg Maritime, say that refits are a primary focus for the company. Kongsberg Maritime can provide integrated solutions that help shipyards and refit yards minimise project risk by dealing with a single contractor that handles decommissioning, installation and commissioning of equipment, including third-party packages.

“When they assign the entire scope to Kongsberg Maritime… they’re placing the project management responsibility onto us, and we are more than happy to take on that responsibility for them,” says Grizovic.

Grizovic and Gulbrandsen note that situational awareness and collision avoidance advisory systems are key trends in the commercial maritime industry currently making their way into the superyacht space. Gulbrandsen points out that such technologies also enable drone detection—a hot topic among yacht owners.

Adnan Grizovic (l) and Tor Vegar Gulbrandsen of Kongsberg Maritime are heading up the company's renewed efforts in superyacht engineering and services

Since 2023, Kongsberg Maritime has delivered several new-build and aftermarket refit projects. The increasing complexity and scope of supply on these projects has included integrated bridges handling navigation, thruster control and DP systems, custom-made foil panels, alarm and monitoring systems, and the latest generation of the company’s K-Chief integrated control and monitoring system, which enhances automated processes, safety operations and integrates third-party systems such as thermal cameras and underwater sonar systems.

The company has also expanded its focus on cruise ship propulsion with the recent launch of five new sizes in its Elegance Pod propulsion range, delivering power output up to 22MW. Gulbrandsen says the next step will be to introduce Elegance Pod solutions—known for their high efficiency and quiet operation—in sizes and power outputs tailored specifically for superyachts.

Kongsberg Maritime is betting that its extensive experience in commercial maritime applications will pay dividends in the superyacht market. “We are very open to working with yacht owners to adapt solutions from our existing portfolio developed for offshore clients to meet the high specifications of superyacht owners,” says Grizovic. “When we develop a solution for the offshore market, we can readily introduce it into the yacht market.”