Wärtsilä plans to ramp down manufacturing in Trieste, Italy and to centralise its four-stroke engine manufacturing in Europe to Vaasa, Finland.
Ending the manufacturing in Trieste is expected to impact approximately 450 employees with potential redundancy. The estimated full annual cost savings are approximately €35m by 2025 and the associated transformation costs are expected to be approximately €130m, out of which the cash flow impact is approximately €75m. The discussions between Wärtsilä, employee representatives as well as Italian authorities and institutions will start in line with Italian legislation.
Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO, Wärtsilä, said: “It is a part of our strategy to continuously monitor our manufacturing capacity and footprint to ensure that our operational efficiency remains competitive. Over the years we have continuously consolidated our manufacturing footprint in Europe. With our new European manufacturing footprint, we are taking the next step in strengthening our competitiveness and creating a structure enabled for future growth. Italy and Trieste will continue to be very important for Wärtsilä in many areas as we aim to be part of shaping the decarbonisation of marine and energy industries.”
Roger Holm, President, Wärtsilä Marine Power, added: “Under the challenging circumstances of the past years, our employees in Trieste have done a commendable job. However, we need to centralise our manufacturing footprint in Europe to further improve our competitiveness. I would like to underline that Italy and Trieste will remain very important for Wärtsilä. Going forward, our site in Trieste will focus on R&D, sales, project management, sourcing, service and training activities. A main part of our employees in Trieste are engaged in these activities today. In the development of the future sustainable solutions for marine and energy industries we are investigating possibilities for future investments in Trieste related to the development of technology for sustainable fuels.”
The changes now planned will not impact Wärtsilä’s engine portfolio and the service levels and commitment towards customers will remain intact. The supply chain will remain largely as-is today, including Italian suppliers, to ensure competitiveness of the supply chain.
