April the 4th, 2022 - Croatian shipbuilders are wanted once again as six boats intended for the Ministry of Health are set to be constructed in one famous Sibenik shipyard.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, with the start of work on a multi-important newbuild, marked by a recently held ceremony at Iskra brodogradiliste 1 in Sibenik, accelerated production will obviously follow. The first in a series of six fast ambulances for the Croatian Ministry of Health will be delivered from these Sibenik halls this September.

All of the above is possible thanks to the circumstances in the field of strategic management specific to both the owner and the aforementioned shipyard's administration, because all the necessary materials for the construction were procured, and the equipment was ordered on time.

All six boats will be able to be constructed on time without any problems, although there are unforeseen factors on the market that affect the dynamics of many projects due to a significant increase in material prices or shortages.

The need for Croatian shipbuilders is finally growing once again

Aluminum for the boats is already in stock, and the material won't be an obstacle to the execution of the works within the agreed deadline of autumn 2023, which is important because the project is being co-financed with EU money. All of the Ministry of Health's boats will be built in Sibenik, and when it comes to the community of bidders, part of the work is being performed by Pula's Tehnomont.

The dynamics of the first delivery in the implementation of the project ''The establishment of an emergency maritime medical service'' is important for a country with more than a thousand islands, both for the island populations and for many tourists, according to prominent Slovenian entrepreneur Dusan Sesek, under whose ownership the Slovenian company Iskra first took over this Sibenik company and the Zagreb electric cable manufacturer Elka.

Here in the Republic of Croatia, the Slovenian group today employs a total of about 400 people, but the need for more and more Croatian shipbuilders in the course of these works is only growing.

"All of the moorings are full, there are orders for 2022 and part of 2023, so the biggest problem in the Sibenik shipyard is an insufficient number of Croatian shipbuilders," said Sesok, explaining that in addition to 170 workers in the shipyard and another 50 subcontractors, there is a real need for around another 30-50 people, with Croatian shipbuilders and welders currently the most lacking.

Turnover grew by 30 percent

This particular shipyard has had both a tradition and a high level of significance in Sibenik since 1905, today with workshops spanning 45,000 m² and indoor halls covering 2000 m² intended for ships up to 70 metres in length, as well as an operating space for servicing vessels spanning 10,000 m². In 2022, the plan is to earn about 25 million euros in revenue, and a modernisation of about 10 million euros is underway.

After moving to the new administrative building, the company is now completing the extension and renovation of the former, where there will be accommodation for about 100 foreign workers, half of which is planned for seasons in tourism. In the first two months of 2022, Iskra's turnover increased by 30 percent and, according to Sesok, the plan for the total revenues of the group this year to stand at a massive 300 million euros.

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