Nature is Present at the Meyer Turku Shipyard
Meyer Turku builds some of the world’s largest and most advanced cruise ships at its shipyard in Turku. Thousands of people work at the shipyard every day, and it is a major employer in the region. As part of Meyer Turku’s sustainability program, the goal has been to make the shipyard area more pleasant and environmentally diverse. By chance, endangered plant species were recently discovered in the area, which were successfully protected and preserved in collaboration with Luotea Property Management and Green Services and the City of Turku. Now, next to the shipyard area’s parking lot, there is a juniper grove that has been restored through clearing and is now more vibrant than ever.
The large shipyard area in Turku is home to a vast amount of industry, machinery, and people. The 120-hectare site also includes natural environments, such as the recently restored juniper grove. In collaboration with a local beekeeper, beehives have also been set up in the area to produce Meyer Turku’s own signature honey.
Employees and customers have enthusiastically embraced the shipyard’s biodiversity projects, which highlight the surrounding nature within the traditional shipyard and shipbuilding environment.
“Restoring the juniper heath was an interesting and unique project. It’s been nice to see that it has sparked interest throughout the shipyard and even beyond its gates. The meadow and beehives have served as a good first step in bringing sustainability issues closer to the everyday lives of shipyard workers. This work will continue in other projects,” says project coordinator Maria Hurskainen from Turku.
Aiming for Significant Energy Savings
Meyer Turku wants to position itself as the shipyard of the future, working together with its partner network to achieve the green transition and become carbon neutral by 2030. As part of this goal, Meyer Turku began collaborating with Lassila & Tikanoja’s energy services in the spring of 2023. The shipyard’s goal is to achieve a 7.5% reduction in energy consumption by the end of 2025.
“It is a responsible act for the future to take into account the diversity of our ecosystem—pollinating insects and vegetation—alongside large cruise ships. Even small meadow areas are of great importance to flying insects; they serve as excellent stepping stones, and in this way we support the diversity of our native nature,” says Satu Sokkinen, Regional Director of Green Services at L&T.
Fredrik Laurén, Account Manager at L&T responsible for the Meyer Turku account, praises Meyer’s sustainability efforts:
“The shipyard has a strong focus on the future, and through this project, among others, it is implementing even smaller initiatives that are tangibly visible.”
The world’s largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas, was recently completed at the Meyer Turku shipyard and set sail for the Caribbean. The shipbuilding industry is a major source of pride for Finland, and standing out in global competition requires specialization and responsible actions.
(This case study was originally published prior to the partial demerger of Lassila & Tikanoja Oyj, which took place on December 31, 2025. Following the partial demerger, L&T’s property services continued operations under the name Luotea.)