GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Sep 14, 2026
Shipyard
A shipyard is an industrial facility where vessels are built, outfitted, repaired, converted or dismantled.
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Source: Frachtportal-News «EU startet maritime Industrieallianz für Schiffe und Häfen» (14.09.2026); Europäische Kommission, EU Industrial Maritime Strategy COM(2026)111
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Logistics concept
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Definition & Explanation
A shipyard is an industrial facility where vessels are built, outfitted, repaired, converted or dismantled. Typical installations include building docks or slipways, dry docks, outfitting quays, cranes and workshops for hull sections and piping. Newbuild yards assemble ships from prefabricated mega-blocks, while repair yards handle class dockings, damage repair and retrofits such as scrubber installation or alternative propulsion conversions. European yards have specialised in technically demanding, low-volume segments - cruise ships, ferries, naval, research and offshore units - whereas high-volume merchant shipbuilding is concentrated in East Asia. For shippers and forwarders, yard capacity matters indirectly: it determines how quickly fleets can be renewed and how dock slots are scheduled. Not to be confused with a port terminal, which handles cargo but does not build or repair ships.
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