To better reflect our global authority in ice engineering and the Finnish heritage at our core, we are sharpening our brand and changing our name. From March 2026, we are Railo Technology – or Railotech for short.
The name symbolises an open lead in the ice, formed by natural forces such as wind, current, and ice movement. A lead can open suddenly and refreeze just as quickly. It is a dynamic phenomenon, and a powerful metaphor for what we do: understanding ice and enabling safe passage through it. The name captures both the essence of our expertise and the heritage from which it originates.
Five decades at the forefront of ice engineering
For more than fifty years, we have led the development of icebreaker design and performance in Finland. Born from the necessity of keeping Finnish ports open year-round, our expertise has evolved into a globally recognised centre of excellence in ice engineering.
We carry forward generations of accumulated knowledge, applied through rigorous research, extensive ice-model testing, polar fieldwork, and full-scale operational validation, to design high-performance vessels capable of operating reliably in the world’s most demanding ice conditions.
From shipyards to an independent authority
During our first three decades, we operated as part of the Finnish shipbuilding industry, adapting our name as ownership structures changed. As global shipbuilding shifted toward higher-volume commercial production, the strategic importance for Finland of maintaining an independent, specialised authority in ice engineering became clear.
In 2005, all accumulated Finnish ice-technology know-how – spanning 36 years of ice model testing, polar research, icebreaker design, and full-scale measurement data – was consolidated into the independent company Aker Arctic Technology.
This independence has enabled us to work across shipyards, projects, and vessel types on multiple continents. With every vessel delivered, we have accelerated our learning, deepened our expertise, and strengthened our position as the industry’s technical reference point.
Since our establishment, 59 icebreaking vessels based on our designs have been put into operation worldwide, with 36 more under development. Our knowledge base is built on more than 700 ice-model test series and over 150 full-scale measurement campaigns. Our specialists have participated in numerous polar expeditions and contributed extensively to both academic and applied research.
This service envelope has enabled shipyards all over the world to build superior vessels based on our forward-looking designs, while providing our customers with confidence and peace of mind in the most demanding ice operations.
Railotech reflects what we do
In 2025, we further strengthened our project execution capabilities through the acquisition of Bluetech Finland. At the same time, Aker Solutions, one of our founding companies, divested its ownership stake. In March 2026, we completed the next step in our evolution by becoming Railo Technology.
In Finnish, railo refers to an ice lead – a narrow split in the ice. We believe this is a fitting name for a company whose expertise lies in making the impossible navigable, while remaining firmly rooted in the Finnish icebreaking heritage. We know ice and how to work with it to open new frontiers.
A new look – the same mission
Alongside our new name, we are introducing a refreshed visual identity: a new logo, colour palette, and website that more clearly reflect our global leadership in ice-going vessel design.
While our appearance evolves, our mission remains unchanged. As Railo Technology, we continue to develop innovative, cost-efficient, and supremely reliable solutions for operating in ice, creating long-term value for shipowners, shipyards, and stakeholders across the entire maritime ecosystem, with the same passion and rigour that have defined our work for more than five decades.
