The tender for a 97 percent state stake in the Pula shipyard has drawn unexpectedly strong interest, with serious players from the shipbuilding and maritime industries reportedly among those interested.
The deadline for submitting binding bids for the purchase of a 97 percent state stake in Pula's Uljanik shipyard expires at noon on Tuesday, and according to unofficial information, the tender has attracted significantly more interest than expected. The Center for Restructuring and Sale (CERP) has sold as many as nine bidding documents, which grant the right to participate in the procedure and submit bids.
There is no official confirmation of the candidates' names, but several sources familiar with the bidding process claim that, unlike a similar procedure conducted three years ago, this time the candidates are much more concrete and serious, coming from the shipbuilding and maritime sectors.
Among those interested is Slovenian entrepreneur Dušan Šešok, owner of Iskra and the shipyard in Šibenik, who has also taken over Rijeka's 3. Maj, where he is still, as he put it, "getting a grip" and putting it back on its feet. Šešok stated that he has acquired the documentation to bid for Uljanik in the current process.
Samir Hadžić, director of Uljanik, openly says that it would be favorable for the state to retain one shipyard under its control. He is astonished by the interest and the seriousness of potential bidders, but the full picture, as he says in a brief conversation, will only be known next week.
In the previous procedure, conducted three years ago via auction by bankruptcy trustee Loris Rak, six potential buyers submitted letters of intent. Among them were Israel Shipyard from Israel, Adria Mont from Rijeka, Eko Bor from Slovenia, GSP Offshore from Romania, Micoperi from Italy, and La Maison from Cyprus.
In the final stage, Czech industrialist Jaroslav Strnad, known in the defense industry, also joined. He operates in Croatia as the main shareholder of Đuro Đaković and the largest shareholder of Luka Rijeka with a 34 percent stake. His connection with the Pula shipyard was the most turbulent, as he repeatedly submitted and withdrew his bids.
For CERP, the criterion for any conclusions is only that any bids fall within the set framework, meaning an unconditional and binding bid with a paid guarantee of 110,850 euros and a minimum price of 11.085 million euros, along with the obligation to retain shipbuilding activities.
Currently, European shipyards are in need of additional capacity, especially due to large orders in the military shipbuilding sector, which is partly linked to interest in the Pula shipyard.
