Arctia

Arctia Ltd is a Finnish state-owned maritime company whose specific mandate is to secure winter navigation and safeguard Finland’s security of supply. Established in 2010 (with roots in earlier state icebreaking services), it operates and manages the national icebreaker fleet from its floating headquarters in Helsinki’s Katajanokka district, located alongside its icebreakers. Arctia’s business units cover icebreaking, fairway maintenance and hydrographic and marine surveying, enabling safe, efficient maritime transport and functioning sea connections for trade and industry in all conditions, particularly in the northern Baltic Sea where all Finnish ports can freeze in winter. The Arctia Group consists of the parent company Arctia Ltd and fully owned subsidiaries Arctia Icebreaking Ltd, Arctia Offshore Ltd, Arctia Meritaito Ltd and Arctia Management Services Ltd, with Arctia Karhu Ltd providing port icebreaking and towing services through a joint venture structure. The fleet includes conventional icebreakers Voima, Urho, Sisu, Otso and Kontio, multipurpose icebreakers Fennica and Nordica, and the LNG-powered Polaris. Beyond fairway icebreaking for the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Arctia delivers international ice management and multipurpose vessel services for offshore oil and gas operations, pipe and cable laying, towing, diving and ROV work, installation and maintenance of underwater structures, oil spill response and marine infra projects. It also manufactures and services maritime safety devices, including polyethylene buoys, beacon towers and smart buoy solutions, and provides multibeam, LiDAR and geophysical and geotechnical surveys, as well as fairway and port design for domestic and international clients such as energy companies, ports and research institutions. Arctia employs roughly 400 specialists, including mariners, surveyors and waterway maintenance personnel. The company emphasises responsible, environmentally friendly operations, positioning maritime transport as a low-emission mode and investing in modern, more sustainable vessels and technologies. It holds extensive Arctic experience, including international campaigns in the Chukchi Sea and transits of the Northeast and Northwest Passages, and in 2026 was selected to manage and crew the Baltic research vessel Aranda, supporting long-term environmental monitoring of the Baltic Sea. Arctia is an active participant in the UN Global Compact and reports annually on strategy, sustainability and its role in Finland’s maritime security of supply.