Damen Naval expands Colombian involvement by contracting Georg Fischer for the PES project in LATAM. Under this project, a Damen SIGMA frigate will be built by COTECMAR, at their shipyard in Cartagena. Georg Fischer in LATAM has been contracted for the delivery of all plastic piping for the PES project.
Besides the supply of plastic piping, Damen Naval’s procurement contract also includes Georg Fischer in LATAM to provide training sessions for COTECMAR staff at their yard in Colombia. This enlarges exchange of technology and knowledge under the PES project. The supply of the tooling necessary for the training, is also covered under this contract.
The local training sessions will be given by Jesús López Ribón, Business Development Manager at Georg Fischer, who is already familiar with COTECMAR’s yard. Jesús López Ribón states: “This project marks a milestone for the naval industry in Colombia. We are proud to contribute not only with high-quality products but also with technical expertise that will enable the Colombian Navy to operate at the highest standards.”
Julio Valls, Head of LATAM Region for Georg Fischer, states: “Damen Naval’s decision to engage local suppliers for a project of this scale represents a historic opportunity for the region. At Georg Fischer, we pride ourselves on delivering the same world class level of service and support everywhere we operate. This partnership reflects our long-term vision: driving technology transfer and positioning Latin America as a trusted partner in strategic projects, while ensuring efficiency, safety, and sustainability at every stage.”
Roxanne Bartelse, Tactical Buyer at Damen Naval says: “This procurement contract helps sharpen local expertise while contributing to our local content obligations. Our recent visit to Georg Fischer provided valuable insight into the supplier’s progress and operational capabilities. I am confident that this partnership will support both our current and future project requirements.”
“Our close collaboration with a local partner in Colombia ensures expert on-site support, while providing us with high-quality tooling and hands-on training that will help us make an immediate impact”, states Mark den Boeft, responsible for Manufacturing Engineering under the PES project.
Recently, a delegation of both LATAM’s Georg Fischer and Damen Naval visited the headquarters of Georg Fischer in Schaffhausen Switzerland, to perform a quality inspection before shipment of the first batch of plastic piping and tooling with destination Cartagena, Colombia.
Damen Naval also met with Colombian suppliers at the annual Expodefensa exhibition (01-03 December 2025, Bogotá) to explore further local content opportunities.
Damen Shipyards Group - Oceans of Possibilities
Damen Shipyards Group has been in operation for over ninety-five years and offers maritime solutions worldwide, through design, construction, conversion and repair of ships and ship components. By integrating systems we create innovative, high quality platforms, which provide our customers with maximum added value.
Our core values are fellowship, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and stewardship. Our goal is to become the world’s most sustainable shipbuilder, via digitalisation, standardisation and serial construction of our innovative vessels and through use of circular materials.
Damen operates 35 shipyards and 20 other companies in 20 countries, supported by a worldwide sales and service network. We deliver in the region of 100 vessels per year, with a total production value of over 3 billion euros. We offer direct employment to approximately 12,500 people. In all that we do, our aim to ensure a positive impact on the local environment and society.
