The new identity brings all business units under the unified claim “Your Maritime Powerhouse”, aiming to strengthen TKMS’s position as a distinct company in the naval industry. CEO Oliver Burkhard stated, “Our new brand identity helps us to be perceived even more strongly as an independent company, in line with our plans to be listed on the stock exchange later this year.”
The launch event featured a drone, light and laser show over the Kiel Fjord, showcasing the brand’s new colours and visual identity. These include black and anthracite for submarines, grey for surface vessels, and yellow referencing naval insignia and steel production, departing from the traditional blue scheme widely used in the sector.
The abbreviation TKMS, long familiar within the industry, now stands as the company’s official brand name and reflects its integrated systems approach. Burkhard noted, “It is bold and stands for technological excellence, precision and clarity – all in line with our claim ‘Your Maritime Powerhouse’.”
TKMS’s new structure brings its various operations, including surface and submarine shipbuilding, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK’s electronics and software, and the civilian division NXTGEN, under a single brand umbrella. “It is sound and opportune that we increasingly speak with one voice to our customers and business partners and are visually perceived as a strong unified entity,” said Burkhard.
The company’s move towards independence is set to be completed by the end of 2025, with a minority stake spin-off planned for tkAG shareholders. TKMS currently holds an order book of approximately €18 billion, bolstered by recent contracts from Germany, the Alfred Wegener Institute, and Singapore.
With more than 8,000 employees across shipyards in Kiel, Wismar, and Brazil’s Itajaí, TKMS is a global leader in naval systems and technologies. The Kiel site alone employs around 3,300 people, making it the largest shipyard in Germany and central to the company’s future direction.
