ULJANIK Shipyard and the Technical School of Pula have signed on Wednesday, 3rd June 2015 an Agreement for collaboration on scientific, research, development and educational projects. The Agreement, which was signed during the Open Days of that same school, defines the principles of collaboration which can significantly contribute to the successful realization of the development plans of ULJANIK Shipyard and the Technical School of Pula.

The Agreement was signed on behalf of ULJANIK Shipyard, by the Director Mr. Silvan Kranjc, and on behalf of the Technical School by the Principal, Mr. Dalibor Paus. The collaboration mainly refers to the continual promotion of shipbuilding activities and the program of the Technical School, stimulating interest for enrolling in the programme of the Technical School, especially for the training programmes of Shipbuilding Technician and Mechanical Engineering Technician for Computing. This collaboration should improve the carrying out of practical and theoretical occupational courses based on knowledge and activities which are in practice used in the process of planning and construction of the Vessel, in which professional personnel of Uljanik Group would also participate in that part of teaching that would involve practical knowledge. Uljanik and the Technical School would also coordinate in the professional and practical development of students from the Technical School through various workshops and professional presentations on tools and systems which are used in ULJANIK Group.

On the 9th June 2015 yard 730, constructed in the shipyard 3. MAJ for the Swedish company WISBY TANKERS, was launched into the sea from slipway no. 1. In addition to key people from ULJANIK Group and the Minister for Economy, Mr. Ivan Vrdoljak, the ceremony was also attended by the shipowner's representatives as well as by the godmother, Ms Helena Salomon, Manager of Production Technologies in 3. MAJ who, with the traditional cutting of the rope, released the vessel „Palanca Rio“ into the sea.

The President of the Management Board of 3.MAJ shipyard, Mr Domagoj Klarić, on behalf of ULJANIK Group and the shipyard 3.MAJ, addressed everybody present at the ceremony and expressed that:

- Our aim and decisiveness in ensuring the quality of constructed ships and respecting the specific wishes of the buyer enables us to maintain our business relationships and entice to return those who have previously decided to build in 3.MAJ. This is confirmed by our relationship with Wisby Tankers who have continued collaboration with the 3.MAJ shipyard, even after the process of restructuring and privatisation as well as its becoming part of the ULJANIK Group. We wish both the godmother of the ship success in fulfilling her tasks and the vessel calm seas - was concluded by Klaric.

In Uljanik on the 21st June, Hull No. 502 – “Bagtyyar”, the second of two contracted ferries (Ro-PAX) intended for the transportation of passengers, trucks and other vehicles on the Caspian Sea, and constructed by ULJANIK Shipyard for the company “State Service for Maritime and River Transportation of Turkmenistan”, was launched from Slipway No.2.

The ship was released into the sea by the traditional cutting of the rope by Mrs. Maja Bernobić, project engineer in Uljanik Shipbuilding Projects. Apart from the senior people of Uljanik Shipyard, Mr. Amanmyrat Gurdov, Deputy of the President of the State Service for Maritime and River Transportation of Turkmenistan, also attended.

The launching of the two barges in the shipyard 3. MAJ was followed the next day by the delivery of two river barges to the Swedish company Wisby Tankers AB for the transportation of crude oil and products intended for sailing by river.

ULJANIK Shipyard on 16th May delivered to the Luxembourg Company Jan De Nul S.A. Capellen D.D. Luxembourg yard 497 named «Bartolomeu Dias». It is the second constructed Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger of 26,000 tonnes deadweight, length 147.6 meters and width 30 meters.

Just to remind ourselves, hoppers are very complex floating objects for the performing of maritime works and are used for suction and transportation of material from the sea bottom. In contrast to the four previously delivered Self Propelled Cutter Suction Dredgers, Uljanik workers have taken upon themselves the entire project and the construction of the ship. Thus, the investment in technology and knowledge that was required for the previously constructed ships (cutters) became an invaluable experience which has now enabled Uljanik to independently build dredgers in their entirety. The aforesaid is entirely in accordance with Uljanik’s orientation towards the niche of special ships with added value.

In Uljanik on the 15th June Hull No. 499 – “Balaken”, constructed by ULJANIK Shipyard for the company Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company from the Republic of Azerbaijan, was launched from slipway no. 1.

This ship has been constructed for the transport of 54 wagons and has a deadweight 5000 tonnes, length 154.80 m and width 17.5 meters, with a speed of 14.5 knots achieved by two Uljanik MAN B&W engines, each one generating a power of 2000 kW at 250 rpm.

The ship was released into the sea by the traditional cutting of the rope by Mrs. Latifa Zeynalova, employee of the aforesaid company. The President of the company Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company, Mr Aydin Bashirov with his closest collaborators and the President of the Board of Directors of ULJANIK Group, Mr. Anton Brajković, were all present at the launching ceremony.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Mr. Marinko Brgić, President of the Management Board of ULJANIK Shipyard, addressed the guests present with a welcoming speech and emphasized among other things that the shipyard is doing efforts to achieve the contracted terms/meet the contracted terms so that the ships would reach the Caspian see before rivers and channels freeze. At the same times the shipyard does not neglect the quality of the ships, therefore I am convinced that our business partners and friends will receive good quality ships within the contracted terms, something they are already used to since starting the collaboration with Uljanik, was concluded by Brgić.

I hope and believe that such business collaboration, achieved business relationship, new and more efficient ships, as well as the expansion of developing activities in the Caspian sea, would represent a strong foundation for the further continuity of our common future which shall be realized through new contracts and new ships, was concluded at the end by Brgić who at the end congratulated all of Uljanik’s worker’s and collaborators for the construction of this beautiful and high quality ship. The president of the Azerbeijan State Caspian Shipping Company, Mr. Aydin Bashirov, pointed out the fact that Uljanik’s shipbuilders nearly three decades ago, in the period between 1984 and 1986, constructed and commissioned to Caspian shippers eight steam ferries - ships for the transportation of steel wagons. The current collaboration was pursued mainly thanks to the efforts of the esteemed President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Alijev, who is whole-heartedly helping the shipping company in the process of renewal of the Caspian fleet. Mr Bashirow thanked everybody who took part in the project and he expressed his belief that the ships will be delivered in time, it was concluded at the end by Mr. Bashirov.

This was the fourth launching in Uljanik. The contracts for the construction of newbuildings 498 and 499 were signed in May 2011, while the delivery of the first ship is scheduled for the end of summer of this current year.