Change of Guard at Aboa Mare's Rudder - Riku Anttila Takes Over

Sea Captain, Riku Anttila, has been appointed as Director of the Aboa Mare Training Centre from 1st February 2023. Anttila takes over from Micael Vuorio as Vice Head of the Department of Engineering and Maritime Transport at Novia University of Applied Sciences and as the STCW responsible for Axxell's Maritime Education, as well as CEO of Aboa Mare Ab.

The shipping industry has always fascinated Anttila and he looks forward to the new challenges it provides.

Anttila has a long and solid experience in the shipping industry. After more ten years at sea, on various tankers, Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax ships, as well as passenger car ferries and cruise ships, Anttila has stayed ashore. He has worked as a Maritime Lecturer in Turku and Rauma, as Director of Maritime Training in Rauma, as well as a Director of Maritime Training for the Maritime, Logistics and Port Training, in Kotka. Over the years, he has also worked as an Assessor for the Maritime Education at the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Board of Education as a Maritime Expert in the Kymenlaakso District Court.

In addition, Anttila has participated in maritime regulation work within the International Maritime Organization IMO, as well as working as an STCW Auditor for the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC). For the past three years, Anttila has worked as an Internal Auditor for the Finnish Armed Forces, with special responsibility for the Navy and the Armed Forces Strategic Projects. In addition to his Sea Captain's degree, Anttila holds a master’s degree in public law and challenges himself further with a doctoral thesis in maritime law.

“I am extremely grateful for the interesting tasks, all the experiences over the years, and the large number of amazing colleagues and partners with whom I have had the chance to work. I will now utilise that background in my new role,” says Anttila.

As the new Head of Maritime Education, Anttila wants to keep the objectives of education at a high level.

“My predecessors have done pioneering work at the forefront of maritime education,” Anttila praises. “I am now continuing to develop this valuable work together with our professional staff and partners. My goal is to continue steering Aboa Mare on a stable course, respecting its long traditions and, taking into account the demands of the future — as a diverse and reliable frontrunner.” says Anttila.

The work towards sustainable development is one of the most important issues that shipping is working on at the moment. Aboa Mare trains shipping companies and others interested in sustainable development, such as how shipping officers can reduce energy consumption and optimize operations. In addition, Aboa Mare offers courses under the IGF Code for shipping companies operating their vessels using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or methanol.

“The demands of the future, especially those relating to environmental issues and the rapid development of technology, place increasing demands on education. Aboa Mare has excellent conditions to meet these demands,” stresses Anttila.

Currently, the Aboa Mare Training Centre has over 400 maritime students enrolled via Axxell and Novia University of Applied Sciences and around 1700 participants annually through the Aboa Mare Continuing Education courses. The training centre actively pursues research and development activities. Aboa Mare also conducts activities abroad through cooperation with training centres in Greece and the Philippines. The naval command training in Turku is the oldest vocational training in Finland - the maritime school was founded 210 years ago, in 1813.

For more information, please contact:

Novia University of Applied Sciences, Director of the Aboa Mare Training Centre, Riku Anttila, tel. +358 50 479 7056, riku.anttila@aboamare.fi