Chantiers de l’Atlantique, one of the largest shipyards in Europe, has entered a collaborative agreement with NAPA, a global provider of maritime software and digital services, to enhance the efficiency of its hull design process by co-developing advanced 3D software and digital workflows.

The two companies will collaborate to digitalize and enhance the detail design processes at Chantiers de l’Atlantique using NAPA Steel, the industry-leading 3D structural design tool. By integrating NAPA Steel with a software used in the production design stage, the combined solution will enable teams of engineers and naval architects to communicate swiftly and work together from the basic design stage, with hull design and outfitting, through to production design. This helps manage growing design complexity and allows Chantiers de l’Atlantique to meet customers’ needs for efficient, safe and innovative vessels.

This digital leap is driven by the recognition that no software alone can meet all the needs of the design process, from the basic to production design. Tackling this challenge, Chantiers de l’Atlantique adopted a pragmatic, ‘best-of-breed’ approach. This is where enterprises can bring together different software to perform a particular function.

By bringing together engineers in charge of structures, propulsion, electrical, general arrangements and weight estimations, this collaboration helps ensure smooth coordination and optimal performance in shipbuilding projects where complex requirements and frequent changes demand agility and precision. Furthermore, through the interface between the NAPA 3D model and production design 3D model, the 3D models created by structural teams can be made available earlier to their colleagues in outfitting and production designs, thereby saving time and boosting efficiency.

The new deal follows a successful pilot that confirmed the potential of NAPA Steel to streamline ship design workflows, resulting in tangible time and cost savings. By strengthening the deployment of 3D-based design tools and integrated workflows, particularly in detail design, NAPA will help deliver greater efficiency, collaboration, and design quality.

The partnership with NAPA marks a new milestone in Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s “digital shipyard” strategy. Headquartered in Saint-Nazaire, the shipyard specializes in cruise and navy ships and offshore installations.

Laurent Castaing, CEO at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said: “This collaboration with NAPA helps us raise the bar in building the next generation of safer, smarter and more efficient vessels. As a world leader in highly advanced vessels, such as cruise and navy ships and offshore installations, managing design complexity is business critical. This requires efficient and streamlined workflows throughout a vessel’s design and production phases. Using agile tools and digital processes is at the heart of this, enabling our teams to take innovation to the next level and respond to our customers’ needs for efficient and future-proof designs.”

Mikko Kuosa, CEO at NAPA, said: “It has been an exciting journey with Chantiers de l’Atlantique to take their digital shipyard vision to new heights. Co-developing a solution that makes greater use of 3D-based digital tools and workflows is the way forward for ship design, unlocking a new level of collaboration and efficiency. Today this is more important than ever, at a time when there is growing demand for innovative vessels to support shipping’s energy transition. The digital era gives shipyards a solid foundation to innovate, while also enhancing their own productivity to maintain strong businesses.”