OSD-IMT: Vessel Design

Bespoke ship design. Creating Value for you.

Established in 1989, OSD-IMT is a specialist ship design house with solid engineering capacity and a track-record of over 100 vessels of a wide range constructed to their designs. The company operates in all major marine markets: renewables, maritime, defence, commercial and oil and gas sectors. It particularly specialises in newbuild design, offshore support and supply vessels, dredgers and dredging support vessels, and marine survey vessels.

Maritime Legacy Dating back over 100 years

Joining Longitude Engineering in 2021, OSD-IMT boasts a maritime legacy of more than 100 years, dating back to roots in the towage and salvage industry. We have also developed a strong presence in vessel design for other key marine markets: renewables, defence and oil and gas.

Based in UK port-towns Dundee and Bideford, almost all our technical colleagues come with significant practical shipbuilding experience gained in the UK and overseas.

Our ship design portfolio includes a diverse track-record covering a large range of vessel types, from newbuild design, support and supply vessels, dredgers and dredging support vessels, and marine survey vessels, to yachts, passenger ferries and LNG tankers.

Members of the Offshore Ship Designers group since 2007, our experienced multi-disciplinary team has a truly international outlook, supporting clients across Europe, Americas, Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Vessel Design Portfolio

Innovative and Sustainable Ship Design

We develop solid and innovative ship designs for cost-effective operations whilst keeping a close eye on sustainability. Our aim is to exceed your expectations in terms of quality, innovation and reliability. Listening to and sharing ideas with our clients is always our starting point. We believe our way of working helps us build successful relationships with our customers and industry partners.

Your Partner in Ship Design

We aim to help you by creating state-of-the-art ship designs, tailored to your exact requirements. From feasibility studies, concept designs, contract designs to basic designs; our naval architects use their extensive and practical experience, collective know-how and modern design tooling to help you develop new marine assets or help you maintain and upgrade your existing fleet.

We offer flexibility by operating independently from equipment manufacturers and shipyards. OSD-IMT designs always incorporate the latest technology, always in accordance with continuously changing class regulations.

Vessels designed by OSD-IMT are in service throughout the globe. We use the latest software to assist us with our work and maintain a personalised and flexible approach enabling us to tailor solutions to meet your specific requirements. Enhance your fleet with state-of-the-art vessels designed in close cooperation with you, or choose from our portfolio of proven designs to expand your business.

Why work with us?

  • Large team of in-house technical specialists in ship design
  • Over 100 IMT designed vessels in service or under construction
  • Significant experience in practical shipbuilding, giving us unique perspective at the design stage
  • Experience in shipyards all over the world
  • Independent – we are not tied to any shipyards or manufacturers, allowing us to provide our clients with a flexible, unbiased view of the most suitable equipment for their vessel
  • Flexible – we maintain a personalised approach, enabling us to tailor solutions to meet our clients’ specific requirements

Solution for your Vessel Market

Our design and engineering skills and market exposure reaches across a broad range of marine markets and vessel types, from: offshore support and supply vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore renewable energy market, passenger vessels and ferries, fishing vessels, yachts and many more. Some examples of where we work:

Offshore Vessel Design

We develop solid, innovative designs for cost-efficient operations. Our priorities are safety, sustainability, crew comfort and efficiency. Enhance your fleet with state-of-the-art vessels designed in close cooperation with you, or choose from our extensive portfolio of proven designs to expand your business.

We offer all types of special-purpose vessels for the offshore oil & gas and renewables industries. From calm close to shore waters, to deep, remote and rough areas, offshore support vessels designed by OSD-IMT are in service globally. We use the latest software to assist us in our work and maintain a personalised and flexible approach enabling us to tailor solutions to meet your specific requirements.

Visit our ship design portfolio and find out more on how we can support you.

Research Vessel Design

General requirements for most research vessels may be similar such as packages of survey equipment, extensive accommodation, the provision of laboratories, a safe working deck, good seakeeping characteristics, low noise and the avoidance of bubble sweep-down. Other operational requirements, such as dimensional limitations, manoeuvrability, ice capability, towing requirements and speed, mean that there are many different solutions for optimising a design. The OSD-IMT suite of vessels provides the basis for developing these specialised designs to meet your specific requirements.

Other Ship Design

Our newbuild design and basic engineering capabilities reach across a wide range of sectors and vessels types including passenger transport, fishing, general cargo, various types of workboat and vessels for the renewable energy markets. You are most welcome to share your ideas and visions for any type of vessel with us. We have the skills and flexibility to turn them into a workable design.

Vessel Design Portfolio

Key Contacts

Managing Director Maritime

Southampton, Longitude

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Senior Naval Architect

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Technical Manager

Dundee, OSD-IMT

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Senior Naval Architect

Bideford, OSD-IMT

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Naval Architect

Bideford, OSD-IMT

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Case Studies View All

OSD-IMT9721 Salvage Vessel

Principle Characteristics LOA: 79.40 m Beam: 16.00 m Depth: 7.30 m Summer Load Draught: 5.80 m Deadweight: 2000 t approx

Emergency Response Vessel (Diesel Electric)

Principal Characteristics Length: 69.90 m Breadth Moulded: 16.90 m Depth Moulded: 7.00 m Draft Maximum: 5.30 m Other Information …

RO-RO CARGO VESSEL OSD-IMT4301

Principal Characteristics L.O.A.: 35.92 m L.B.P.: 33.00 m Beam mld.: 8.00 m Depth mld.: 3.80 m Design Draught: 2.50 m Deadweight…