Vard begins construction on 100m RV6000 for Gabe Newell's marine research organisation Inkfish

Norwegian shipyard Vard has announced that construction has begun on the 100-metre research vessel project named RV6000, contracted by Oceanco owner Gabe Newell's marine research and ocean exploration organisation Inkfish. 

The keel of the custom new build was laid at the yard's facilities in Brăila, Romania, attended by representatives from Inkfish, its UK-based technical representatives, YTMC, the international classification society, DNV, and Vard. The hull will be constructed in Romania, while final outfitting, commissioning and delivery of the vessel will take place at Vard's facilities in Søviknes, on the west coast of Norway.

The contract for the research vessel was signed in July 2025 at a cost exceeding €200,000,000. It was then that the shipyard stated that RV6000 would be "one of the most modern research vessels the world has seen". 

The news of the vessel's construction comes less than a month after Vard announced a secondary €700,000,000 contract with Inkfish for the 162-metre research vessel project named RV11000, scheduled for delivery in Q1 of 2030. Both new builds will join the organisation's growing fleet of dedicated research vessels, alongside Hydra and Dagon.

RV6000 will be built to the Vard 9 33 design, curated for scientific exploration and specially designed for seafloor mapping. As such, she will be equipped with a "world-leading" gondola-mounted sensor suite, submersible support with two manned crafts and ROV operations with an operational capacity to 6,000 metres deep.

She will be fitted with a stern-mounted A-Frame system and a large hangar for maintenance and storage to one side, while on the starboard side, an offshore crane equipped with AHC is configured for operations down to 2,500 metres. Elsewhere onboard, a hydroacoustic survey system is capable of high-resolution seafloor mapping and water column analysis across all depths. A dedicated helicopter deck provides further capabilities. 

At 100 metres and a 20.7-metre beam, RV6000 will offer "high-quality" accommodation for up to 70 people, including crew and scientists, with state-of-the-art laboratories, offices and workshops, and recreational facilities for enhanced onboard comfort. 

The design was developed through a collaborative effort between Vard, Inkfish and YTMC, which began in early 2024. At the contract signing last year, the shipyard explained that the vessel will incorporate "both current and anticipated requirements from Inkfish’s pioneering teams in science, subsea and aviation who will operate aboard the vessel".

Delivery is scheduled for Q2 of 2028.