The Port of Frederikshavn is seeing great activity. Cranes, docks, shipyard halls, steel structures, and ships of all sizes are queued up for repair, rebuilding, or upgrading. Frederikshavn is also expected to play a key role as a gathering facility for new Arctic ships.
The development takes place at a time when massive investments are being made in new ship types, energy-efficient solutions, and advanced maritime technologies. The maritime sector is facing a comprehensive technological transformation with demands for green transition, energy efficiency, digitalization, and increased complexity in ship design and system integration—not least in connection with the great renewal of the Danish Armed Forces.
It creates a growing need for specialized knowledge in sustainability, mechanical engineering, and maritime technology in the blue industry. And here, naval architects play a key role. To meet the increasing demand, DTU, the maritime education centre MARTEC and Teknika have therefore established the new BEng programme Naval Architecture and Maritime Engineering. Students can study in both Frederikshavn and at DTU's campuses in Lyngby and Ballerup.
"It's a big advantage that we have the opportunity to educate naval architects in Frederikshavn in collaboration with MARTEC. Local demand will only increase as the defence and offshore sectors evolve. We're facing large investments in maritime infrastructure—in new defence vessels, offshore wind, and the service industry—and this may change the entire dynamics of the area," says DTU's Senior Vice President, Carsten Orth Gaarn-Larsen, who is responsible for the relocation of study programmes.
Present throughout Denmark
The growing maritime industry in Frederikshavn plays directly into DTU's strategy of being present throughout Denmark and offering study programmes close to growth areas and business clusters. What is special about North Jutland is that the students get direct access to a high-tech industry where they can get close to real large-scale construction projects, collaborate with companies that participate in production, and do internships in maritime engineering environments.
The naval architects of the future must combine classic engineering disciplines with new technological and systemic competences, so it is crucial that theory and practice go hand in hand. The students must both understand the practical processes and have insight into the many technological opportunities that characterize modern ship design and maritime systems—competences that enable them to contribute to innovation, transformation, and competitiveness in the industry.
Pia Ankerstjerne, CEO of MARTEC, says:
"I'm very pleased that MARTEC and DTU have entered into a partnership on offering the marine engineering programme which is so important to Denmark. We hope that many young people will become aware of this attractive programme at MARTEC in Frederikshavn. The programme is new, and we have a large number of strong maritime companies in the local area, which makes student life both exciting and hands-on—including through close collaboration and an internship guarantee from the industry. The partnership with DTU helps to give the study programme significant academic power."
