STX willing to offload part of Aker

Korean shipbuilder STX has said it would be interested in selling some of its shipbuilding holdings to the Finnish government. According to the chairman of the board of STX Europe, formerly Aker Yards, Su-Jou Kim is proposing a similar arrangement to that carried out in France where the state becomes a strategic owner of Aker Yards France. The state of France is acquiring a 33% holding in the Saint-Nazaire and Lorient shipyards. According to Su-Jou Kim, joint ownership provides more opportunities for developing shipbuilding.

So far there have been no formal discussions on this issue with Finland although, according to Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Mauri Pekkarinen, it would not be sensible for the state of Finland to invest in shipbuilding. Pekkarinen is confident that STX is committed to continuing shipbuilding in Finland even if the state has no holding in the shipyards.