123 INTERVIEW From concept to reality Shaun White of Foreship (RINA) speaks with Alex Smith about how the consultant delivers its expertise across the entire lifecycle of newbuild, refit and retrofit projects Foreship provides naval architecture, engineering and consultancy services to cruise and ferry operators worldwide, supporting projects from initial concept studies through design, procurement and implementation. Since becoming part of RINA in 2025, the company has combined its specialist passenger shipping expertise with a global network covering classification, sustainability, digital solutions and infrastructure services. According to Shaun White, UK marine engineering director at Foreship, one of the defining characteristics of today’s cruise and ferry markets is growing project complexity. “There are a lot of competing demands for ship operators,” he says. “They need to comply with increasingly demanding regulations while ensuring vessels remain safe, efficient and commercially successful. At the same time, they are under pressure to minimise downtime, maximise asset performance and deliver projects within increasingly challenging schedules.” The complexity extends beyond technical requirements. Major refurbishment, retrofit and decarbonisation projects often involve multiple contractors, suppliers and stakeholders, while many operators are managing competing priorities and resource constraints, making access to specialist expertise increasingly important for successful project execution. “We can’t expect operators to have experts in every discipline, especially when teams are balancing multiple priorities and increasingly complex projects,” says White. “That’s where consultancies like Foreship and RINA can provide the specialist expertise and additional resource needed to deliver projects successfully.” For White, the key to successful project delivery is early engagement. “The earlier we can help, the more likely ideas are to succeed,” he says. “At the concept stage, financial commitment is still relatively low, allowing operators to evaluate options, assess feasibility and understand regulatory implications before major investment decisions are made.” As projects progress, Foreship’s role evolves from concept studies and engineering design to tender support, contractor evaluation, onboard supervision and implementation support. Maintaining continuity throughout that process is what White sees as a major differentiator. “There’s nothing better than having the designer in the drydock making sure the work is carried out as intended,” he says. “That continuity helps ensure project objectives are not lost as work moves through different contractors, stakeholders and approval stages.” The integration with RINA has further strengthened that offering by combining Foreship’s specialist passenger ship expertise with a broader global network and complementary technical capabilities. “What we’ve brought together is Foreship’s engineering and naval architecture expertise with RINA’s scale and multidisciplinary services,” says White. “That gives customers access to a wider range of support while still benefiting from the specialist knowledge Foreship is known for.” Looking ahead, White’s message to operators planning major retrofit and decarbonisation programmes is straightforward: invest time in planning and preparation. “A lot of effort spent early in a project saves significant cost and disruption later,” he says. “Our role is to support customers from concept through implementation and operation, helping ensure complex projects deliver the outcomes they were designed to achieve.” “ The earlier we can help, the more likely ideas are to succeed”
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