UX Marine shipyard in China

UX Marine has opened a new shipyard in China that has succeeded its Cape Town facility as the main production hub for production and delivery of its Noordic ‘luxury adventure’ collection. The new facility near Qingdao in Shandong province marks a new chapter for the South Africa-based brand and reaffirms its growing commitment to Asia-Pacific, where two of the company’s owners are based in Singapore.

Known for its sleek, adventure-ready cruisers ranging from 16-28ft, UX Marine continues to design and develop its Noordic line in Cape Town under the leadership of General Manager Jean ‘JP’ Le Roux, formerly of Robertson and Caine.

However, the new shipyard in China will allow the company to scale production and strengthen logistics for faster regional deliveries, particularly to Singapore and other markets in Southeast Asia. Co-founder Eugene Mercado, based in Singapore, said the decision to move into mainland China eastward came after careful consideration.

“Cape Town will always remain our creative hub, but to keep pace with demand, we needed to be closer to our customers,” Mercado said. “China provides the precision, infrastructure and speed we need, without losing what makes our boats so distinct.”

Eugene Mercado and Captain David Romeril

The facility positions UX Marine within Asia’s developing marine manufacturing ecosystem, as it continues to emerge as a growing hub for boatbuilding.

Captain David Romeril, UX Marine co-owner and a Singapore-based superyacht skipper, added: “Asia is the new Mecca of marine innovation. From smart materials to automation, the quality and capability here are remarkable. We’re blending South African craftsmanship with Asian efficiency to build faster, better and closer to where our boats will live.”

Boats produced at the South Africa facility included the Noordic 28 and Noordic 23, while the first model to roll out from the China facility will be the Noordic 26.

Australia-based Mike Johnston, UX Marine’s CEO, said: “This move keeps our DNA intact but expands our reach. We’re not just building boats; we’re building a bridge between continents of craftsmanship.”

Neptune’s Chest

The Noordic 26 is also significant as it introduces Neptune’s Chest, UX Marine’s proprietary automation and control system designed entirely in-house. The system allows owners to oversee every onboard function, control all lights, instruments and systems directly from their smart devices, and monitor alarms.

The simple-to-maintain hardware is discreetly installed in an accessible central module. The system, which can also be manually overridden in emergencies, now comes standard on all Noordic models.

uxmarine.com