Vigo shipyards Armón and Freire lead global oceanographic vessel construction

Shipyards in Vigo, specifically Armón and Freire, have established themselves as global leaders in the construction of advanced oceanographic research vessels. These ships are currently facilitating major scientific breakthroughs across the world's oceans.

The Anna Weber van Bosse, built by Armón, is currently conducting expeditions in the Azores to study deep-sea whale feeding and ecosystem restoration. Equipped with advanced sonar, hydrophones, and DNA sampling technology, the vessel is capable of polar operations in the Arctic and Antarctic using methanol propulsion.

Freire’s Falkor Too, built for the Schmidt Ocean Institute, has recorded historic findings, including new octopus species in Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago, and the first-ever video of a live giant squid in 2025. Other notable vessels include the BAP Carrasco for Peru, the Odón de Buen for Spain, and the Karahoa II for New Zealand’s tsunami detection network. The shipyard is also nearing completion of the RV Thuwal II for Saudi Arabia’s scientific fleet.