PAPENBURG (dpa-AFX) – The Meyer Werft, which was rescued by the state a year ago, is facing a major order from the Swiss cruise line MSC Cruises. According to dpa information, the order that the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony want to present to the companies on Monday involves four ships that are intended to ensure the shipyard’s capacity to capacity until 2036. The “Spiegel” and the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” first reported on it.
The Federal Ministry of Economics invited people to a press conference in Berlin on Monday about the “future of the Meyer Werft” without becoming more specific. Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU), Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD), the managing director of Meyer Werft and the chairman of the supervisory board of MSC Cruises are scheduled to take part. There were initially no official statements from those involved about the large order when asked.
According to media reports, the price for a cruise ship is around one billion euros, so the total volume of the new order could amount to several billion.
400 million euros for an “industrial crown jewel”
The federal government and the state of Lower Saxony rescued the financially troubled Meyer Werft a good year ago: both acquired 40 percent of the shares. A total of 400 million euros went to this. The company is based in Papenburg, Lower Saxony.
Before the rescue, former Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) praised the shipyard as an “industrial crown jewel”. “The Meyer Werft is a trump card that we cannot and will not give up,” said Scholz last summer.
Airbus manager arrives
The company already announced an impending change in management today: The shipbuilder’s supervisory board has appointed André Walter as the new managing director from July 1, 2026. He succeeds Bernd Eikens, who is handing over management as planned and at his own request, it was said.
Walter comes from the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer Airbus (Airbus SE). He has been CEO of Airbus Aerostructures GmbH and Airbus GmbH in Hamburg since 2022. His career at Airbus began in 2006, and he later managed the Bremen and Hamburg locations, among others.
Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Lies described the change at the top as an important step for the future of Meyer Werft. With his experience in the industry, Walter has the best prerequisites to strengthen the company’s competitiveness, said the SPD politician.
Lies emphasized last year, when he was still Lower Saxony’s economics minister, that the state did not have the goal of remaining a permanent majority shareholder in the shipyard. “We can very well imagine a successful future for the shipyard in private hands,” he said. This also includes a buyback option for the Meyer family.
Meyer Werft has a history of more than 200 years and is considered one of the world’s leading manufacturers of cruise ships. The repertoire also includes research and special ships.
According to its own information, MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise company and, among other things, the market leader in Europe and South America. The company, based in Geneva, employs more than 30,000 people worldwide./cwe/DP/stw
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