The Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg is reportedly on the verge of securing a multi-billion euro contract to build up to four cruise ships for the Swiss cruise line MSC. This order could guarantee the shipyard’s workload until 2036. The announcement of the contract is set to be made in Berlin by representatives including the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and the Lower Saxony Prime Minister.

The shipyard was rescued with taxpayer money by federal and state governments in late 2024, who subsequently acquired around 40% stakes each in Meyer Werft. They injected 400 million euros in equity capital and secured bank loans of 2.6 billion euros through public guarantees. The Meyer family retains approximately 20% with an option to repurchase shares. The goal is to stabilize the shipyard by 2028.