UT-Design team gets new manager
12 January 2006
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| Svein Kleven (right) has taken
over from |
After 30 successful years, a new chapter in the history of
Svein Kleven joined Rolls-Royce in Ulsteinvik 11 years ago. He had studied at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim and was unfamiliar with Sunnmøre’s maritime milieu.
"At that time I had no great hopes about living on a windswept island in what seemed like the back of beyond. That this area should turn out to be a centre for the maritime industry came as something of a surprise," he says. Mr. Kleven took over one of the key jobs in the development of offshore vessels the world over on 1 October.
Knowledge transfer
It was Sigmund Borgundvåg who recruited Svein Kleven to Rolls-Royce
in the first place. Mr Borgundvåg has led the UT-Design team since
its inception in the 1970s. He has been employed at Rolls-Royce, formerly
Ulstein, since 1964.
"Sigmund is extremely good at his job. Working for him has put me on a steep learning curve. There are a lot of us here who are constantly trying to challenge the established truths, and Sigmund has created an environment for doing that – within the framework of an effective concept," says Mr. Kleven of his predecessor.
The outgoing design manager has led the design work on more than 600 ships, 500 of which were UT-Design vessels.
"I will be continuing for a few more years as a designer, but in a freer role," says Mr Borgundvåg. That means he can spend more of his time developing new designs. And perhaps his working day can be cut back from 12-16 hours to a more normal schedule.
Continuity and innovation
"This change of leadership represents both continuity and the continued
development of the UT-Design concept. We are very happy that Mr. Borgundvåg
will be staying with the department, and that Mr. Kleven has accepted
the position as design manager," says Jørn Heltne, Managing
Director Rolls-Royce Ship Technology – Offshore in Ulsteinvik.
"Svein Kleven has played a key role in several of our major development projects, including vessels such as icebreakers, cable layers, intervention vessels and large offshore vessels. He and his team will undoubtedly take the UT-Design concept even further."
Strong philosophy
The philosophy behind the UT-Design concept will remain, but it is often
challenged. The design department expects its portfolio of vessels to
continue growing, and that will require a high degree of efficiency. The
development of new tools and production methods make it possible to create
new ship designs and a new visual profile.
"But we will always have in mind where we are coming from, and why we are changing a design," says Svein Kleven. Maintaining an overall design philosophy is also a challenge, as the department grows in size.
"Competent and creative people want to make something new all the time. It is a precondition for innovation, but we can never abandon the continuity of the UT-Design concept."
The development of a design series usually starts with a platform supply vessel which ends up as a mult-ifunctional solution. "We are constantly breaking down the barriers of what we originally thought it was possible to achieve within a given size. But in the end, it might no longer be the correct platform. Part of my role is to see when it is time for a change, and a new UT series needs to be created," says Mr. Kleven.
The new design manager is impressed by how many customers are now willing to try new solutions. The designers and shipowners work closely together to meet the vessel’s future requirements. In this area, too, continuity is a key word.
"We cannot make mistakes. It is a huge responsibility being a designer, and we have to have faith in our own solutions, alongside our customers," says Mr. Kleven.