Company
When operations move into ice-covered waters where failure is not an option, Railotech defines what engineering can achieve.
Railotech – The home of Finnish icebreaker know-how
For more than fifty years, we have maintained uninterrupted leadership in the development of high-performance icebreakers and ice-capable vessels built for the world’s most extreme operating environments.
As Finland’s centre of excellence in ice-going vessel design and engineering, we carry forward generations of accumulated knowledge, applied through rigorous research, extensive ice model testing, polar fieldwork, and full-scale operational validation.
Our approach is data-driven and uncompromising: performance is measured, verified, and proven. With more than 700 ice model test programmes, 150 full-scale trials, 59 icebreakers in operation worldwide, and 36 more under development, our depth of expertise is unmatched in this specialised field.
ADVANCED R&D AND INNOVATION CULTURE
Railotech has pioneered innovations, including the Double Acting Ship concept and oblique/asymmetric icebreaker designs, reshaping Arctic marine operations. Railotech has been part of most of the Finland born ice-going vessel related innovations.
TESTED DESIGN EXPERIENCE
Railotech has made designs for 59 icebreaking ships built at 11 different shipyards around the world. We and our predecessors have conducted over 700 model test series and over 150 full scale test programs.
MISSION SPECIFIC VESSEL DESIGNS
Railotech develops vessel concepts matched to customer’s mission profile, including the operation area, operation window, and the shipowner’s operational principles, to ensure safe, efficient and reliable arctic performance.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Railotech delivers solutions for clients worldwide – commercial fleets, research institutes, shipyards and governments operating in the arctic and other harsh environments. We have been to all remote places on earth to gather data on ice properties
As an independent engineering authority, we work across shipyards, projects, and vessel types globally. Our innovations, including the Double-Acting Ship (DAS™) concept and numerous other pioneering vessel designs, have reshaped modern ice navigation and continue to set the technical benchmark others follow.
Every vessel we design is mission-specific, optimised for peak performance, and engineered to deliver operational certainty where the margin for error is zero.
Today, Railotech stands as the undisputed global reference point in ice engineering, creating long-term value for shipowners, shipyards, and stakeholders across the entire maritime ecosystem.
We don’t just break ice. We define how it is done.
Our history
For more than half a century, Railotech has defined what reliable ice design truly means. In the world’s most demanding marine environments, our history is one of measured confidence, built on relentless innovation, validated performance, and vessels designed to thrive where others cannot operate.
Their customer-centred and solution-oriented approach has been instrumental in our collaboration.