History explains Nordic sea industry innovations, says Anders Kurtén

Fotos: Baltic Yachts

Text: A'Pelago

A'Pelago interviewed Anders Kurtén, currently leading Fraser Yachts and formerly associated with Baltic Yachts. The article is the third part of the A'Pelago Horizon View series, which focuses on business solutions inspired, inspiring, and, on the other hand, needed by maritime areas.

Baltic Yacht is the world's leading manufacturer of composite sailing yachts. The company aims to produce lighter, stiffer, and faster vessels. The boats are crafted in the Finnish tradition, respecting heritage and fostering innovation in Pietarsaari.

A'Pelago: Let's start with the classics, who are you, and what is your background?

Anders Kurtén: I spent my early life on the shores of Airihttps://apelago.sanity.studio/desk/poststo. Since then, I've accumulated 40 years in the boat industry. Before my current role at Fraser Yachts, I worked at Baltic Yachts, Buster, and previously at a smaller Finnish sailboat manufacturer.

Once you mess up your CV in the boating industry, you never leave. Working with pleasant people and fantastic products is a privilege in many ways.

Now, let's talk about Finland's maritime and coastal areas as the starting point for brand building. Interestingly, top-notch vessels from Baltic Yachts still come from the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea.

I would say our location is not surprising in the context of history. In Finland, especially in Ostrobothnia, we have a 500-year tradition of ship and boat building. During the time of the Finland-Sweden union, the Ostrobothnia region built, on a per capita basis, by far the most floating facilities in the entire state. Almost all production was exported even then. In a way, history explains the Baltic Sea's position as a source of innovation for the global maritime economy.

There are still many philosophical similarities in building Baltic Yachts vessels to the construction of R-boats designed and built on the Finnish coast. When fives, sixes, eights, and 12-meter boats were made in the early 20th century from wood, the goal was often to have the lightest structures possible to achieve maximum speed. At Baltic Yachts, we have simply continued that development—eventually moving away from wood to use other materials: plastics, composites, fiberglass, and more.

And how does the Finnish Baltic Sea area as a birthplace affect the export potential of a brand?

I would say that our location has considerable significance, proving Pavlov's theory. Of all the countries in the world, Finland has an excellent position among our target audience. Finland is particularly associated with high-end production related to sailboats.

Geographically, our birthplace is not often an advantage, but imaginatively, yes. If we were in Poland or Norway, the situation would be different. Here, we have what is called the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" effect. Much credit for this goes to our neighbor Nautor, which significantly opened up the market.

Let's take a look towards future: how do you see potential of Finland's maritime areas in creating solutions aimed at the well-being of global seas and society?

Baltic Yachts has been on that journey for quite some time now. We began exploring electric propulsion about ten years ago, initially driven by customer demand.

Approximately around the same time I joined this company about four years ago, we realized that the world was inevitably moving towards a more sustainable direction. At Baltic Yachts, we decided to develop technology in line with this direction as a determined player and showcase it to customers in projects.

What is the competitive significance of these solutions?

They differentiate the operator from others. I don't see a huge risk that these innovations will be copied elsewhere in the world.

In Finnish boatbuilding, there is a critical number of locally situated and expert subcontractors who have grown with us. At the same time, in custom projects, the hourly cost is only a fraction of the project because the raw materials are valuable and cost the same in Asia as they do here.

What innovations has Baltic Yachts already made from the perspective of the vitality of seas and archipelago areas?

The quality of Baltic Yachts' boats is top-notch, and structurally, the boats can be repaired, unlike mass-produced boats often. The first boat we ever made, Baltic 46 no.1, completed in 1974, underwent its first refit only in 2022.

Inspections and repairs were easy to carry out because everything on the boat is visible and reachable due to the boat's complex technical systems. The visibility of the structures in these boats also has many similarities with historic meter boats produced in Finland.

What innovations does your industry call for to improve for the environment and the seas?

Perhaps the most significant thing that already exists and functions stably in the laboratory environment is the recycling of carbon fiber. However, there is still a long way to go before we can practically order from a provider the recycled glass fiber mat we need based on laminate specifications. In practice, there is a missing value chain that would enable the utilization of this recycling innovation.

The problem globally in the formation of this value chains according to the principles of the circular economy for carbon fiber is not the quantity but that the entities using it as a virgin material are fragmented across very different sectors, including the boat industry, defense, aerospace, and medical applications. Navigating across these diverse niches is a challenge, and ultimately, the ways in which the material is used may differ significantly. Despite the challenges, it is hoped that a builder for such a value chain can be found.

Another significant action would be the geographical shortening of shipments. In practice, bringing production closer is not often an economically viable option due to the small quantities.

What is the key to the emergence of solutions that affect these seas environmentally?

We need someone bold who firmly believes in the vision that there is demand for recycled and locally produced materials – that in the future, for example, wind turbine blades will be made from recycled carbon fiber.

Finally, it must be emphasized that, fundamentally, Baltic Yacht's customers who sail are already well-informed and respectful of nature in their choices.

The article is the third part of the A'Pelago Horizon View series, which focuses on business solutions inspired, inspiring and on the other hand, needed by marine areas.

Come to hear, share, and initiate business solutions that restore and improve the state of maritime areas at A'Pelago Initiative 2024 events. You can find the program and tickets for Initiative Winter Camp on January 25-26, 2024, here. Also, remember to check out our Accelerator program application.