Marco Polo Marine (5LY) said on Nov, 13 2025 that its wholly owned subsidiary, Marco Polo Shipyard, has secured a 198 million Singapore dollar contract from Taiwan’s National Academy of Marine Research to design and build a 4,000-gross-tonne oceanographic research vessel.

The company described the award as the largest in its shipyard division’s history and said the project will be funded entirely through internal cash flow.

Construction is scheduled to take about four years at Marco Polo Marine’s yard in Batam, Indonesia, with engineering and commercial support provided from Singapore. Norwegian firm Skipteknisk AS will supply the vessel’s design, which will be built to dual CR and ABS class standards.

The ship will feature DP2 capability, diesel-electric propulsion with twin azimuth thrusters, battery energy storage, and a waste-heat recovery system. It is designed for low-noise operations and an endurance of more than 30 days. Equipped with wet and dry laboratories, multibeam sonar systems, CTD sensors and ROV handling gear, the vessel will support a variety of scientific missions.

Marco Polo Marine said the project advances its push into specialised vessel construction and complements its existing business in offshore wind vessels.