On 8 October 2026, Remontowa Nauta Shipyard was exactly 100 years and one day old, as shipyard workers, friends of the company and invited guests spent the day celebrating the remarkable anniversary.

An occasion like this does not come around often – precisely once a century – and calls for an appropriate celebration. The centenary of Remontowa Nauta Shipyard was marked by the company’s management and numerous invited guests at a special anniversary gala held at the Emigration Museum, close to the area where the history of the Gdynia shipyard began a century ago. However, the day’s celebrations had started much earlier.

8 October 2026 will go down in the history of Remontowa Nauta Shipyard as a day marking the yard’s 100th anniversary. The celebrations began early in the morning. First, shipyard workers gathered at the nearby Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St Peter the Fisherman in Gdynia for a Mass dedicated to the shipyard and all those whose lives and work had been connected with it over the past century. A commemorative plaque was unveiled in the church after the service. The congregation then marched to Washington Street, where the Shipyard Worker Monument was ceremonially unveiled beside the former shipyard gate. “This is where it all began,” reads the inscription on its plinth.

In the evening, invited guests gathered for the centenary celebrations of Remontowa Nauta Shipyard, which provided an opportunity to reflect on the yard’s long history and highlight the fact that, following numerous successes as well as difficulties and enforced changes, it now plays a vital role in Polish industry and national defence. The ceremony also offered an opportunity to express gratitude and recognise the role played by people in the shipyard’s operations. A large group of invited dignitaries gathered at the Emigration Museum, representing both the maritime sector – including many current and former Nauta employees – and local and central government.

The guests were welcomed by their host, Monika Kozakiewicz, President of the Management Board of Remontowa Nauta Shipyard. In her speech, she recalled that the shipyard’s history was closely intertwined with that of Gdynia.

“From a modest boat-repair workshop to a modern organisation with an established brand; from a local facility serving a young port to a shipyard recognised by shipowners and partners on the international market – this is a journey that cannot be expressed in numbers, although the figures are impressive,” Monika Kozakiewicz said. She noted that thousands of employees had passed through the shipyard gates over the past 100 years, while thousands of ships and naval vessels had occupied its docks and berths. There had even been one pirate vessel and one… seal.

“Behind every ship, every repair, every challenging project and every success at Nauta stand generations of Nauta people. That is why today I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all the shipyard’s current and former employees, as well as the companies and teams that have worked with us for years,” President Kozakiewicz said. “You are the lifeblood of this company, and you are what makes it strong,” she concluded.

President Karol Nawrocki did not attend the gala, but Maciej Czarnecki was authorised to represent him. Czarnecki is a member of the Territorial Self-Government Council attached to the President of the Republic of Poland and also serves as Mayor of the Town and Municipality of Gniew. On behalf of the President, he paid tribute to Nauta’s employees.

“Today, the Polish shipbuilding industry matters not only economically; it is also important for Poland’s security and sovereignty. A strong state needs its own capabilities, its own technologies, its own specialists and its own industry. That is why it is so important that Nauta is part of the Polish Armaments Group and participates in projects related to the modernisation of the Polish Navy. This shows that the centenary is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of another chapter,” Maciej Czarnecki told the audience.

Nauta’s involvement in programmes for the Polish armed forces was also discussed by Eliza Zeidler, Deputy Minister of State Assets, who is responsible for local content within the ministry. She said that the experience and expertise of the shipyard’s current and former workforce translated into a domestic contribution to major projects carried out by state-owned companies. Beata Rutkiewicz, the Pomeranian Voivode, in turn, stressed the need to develop the workforce for decades to come.

“A hundred years in the life of a shipyard, broadly understood, means the determination to survive, a great deal of hard work and countless sleepless nights during times when things were not always going well. But it also means strength and the determination to keep going, survive and develop. A hundred years also means thousands of vessels repaired and a considerable number of new ones built. Above all, however, it means people, whom we are talking about so much today,” Beata Rutkiewicz said. Turning to the rectors of Gdańsk University of Technology and Gdynia Maritime University, who were present in the room, she added: “There is work to be done here – we need to provide that workforce.”

Marcin Skwierawski, Deputy Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, spoke about the responsibility shipyard workers shoulder every time they repair another vessel. He illustrated his point with the example of the scout sailing ship Zawisza Czarny, which underwent repairs at Nauta this year.

“Replacing the hull and repairing the propulsion system are jobs that those taking part in voyages do not usually see. Yet safety at sea depends on the quality of this work and the professionalism with which it is carried out. For Pomerania, it is very important that the skills you pass down from generation to generation remain here and continue to develop, so that shipowners can benefit from them, as can local companies providing specialist services and supplying equipment,” Skwierawski said. The Deputy Marshal wished Nauta the financial resources to invest and its employees opportunities to acquire new qualifications.

The celebrations also brought together the mayor of the city whose history is inseparable from that of Nauta: Gdynia Mayor Aleksandra Kosiorek.

“One thing has certainly remained unchanged throughout Nauta’s history: diligence, responsibility and dedication to a profession that is extremely demanding and whose proper execution often determines whether people live or die. You have mastered these skills to perfection,” the mayor said.

The final dignitary to address the audience was Adam Leszkiewicz, President of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ). Remontowa Nauta Shipyard has been part of PGZ since 2014, when it joined the group through the capital links in place at the time. In 2023, PGZ SA acquired a majority stake in the shipyard from its then-owner, the MARS Closed-End Investment Fund. As Leszkiewicz noted, Nauta is one of several centenarians within the group.

“One might think that a centenarian has already seen everything, lived through everything and experienced everything. And in Nauta’s case, that is to some extent true. There have been periods of extraordinary growth, periods of transformation, recovery programmes and restructuring – the latter having only recently been completed. There was also a major effort to restructure the company’s debt, including the recent conversion of nearly PLN 30 million. What matters, however, is that more than 30 creditors collectively decided to place their trust in Nauta’s future.

“We all believe that Nauta will continue to develop. Sometimes a centenarian may no longer feel like doing much, but the context here is that the shipbuilding industry is undergoing an extraordinary period of intensive growth, that Poland’s coast is now the envy of many other regions, and that PGZ has been operating within its maritime domain for four months. Nauta must secure its place, position and responsibilities within that domain as well,” the PGZ president said.

Following Adam Leszkiewicz’s speech, Monika Kozakiewicz and Pomeranian Voivode Beata Rutkiewicz jointly presented current and former shipyard employees with awards. These included the “Meritorious Worker of the Sea” honorary badges, awarded by the minister responsible for maritime economy, as well as the shipyard’s own decorations.

The roles were then reversed: employees, represented by Adam Potrykus, Director of the Trade and Project Delivery Office, and Jarosław Staluszka, Sales Manager, took to the stage to thank President Monika Kozakiewicz and present her with a commemorative bouquet of flowers.

Fot.: Natalia Kuna/Nauta