Team

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS currently comprises two naval architects, five software engineers, one IT staff, one mathematician, one administrative staff, one marketing staff and several students. In addition, we regularly welcome guest scientists and students who join us for research projects, theses and internships.

Management Board

FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS has two managing directors:

• Claus Abt (Products and Technologies)
• Dr. Stefan Harries (Management and Strategies)

Claus Abt, Dipl.-Ing.

Claus Abt is co-founder and shareholder of FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS. He studied naval architecture and ocean engineering at the Technical University Berlin (Diplom-Ingenieur in 1998, BSc equivalent in 1994), specializing in Computer Aided Design and information technology. He is a C++ expert and looks back on twenty years of extensive programming. Previous experiences include research and development in the fields of product modeling (1989 to 1993), naval architecture and ocean engineering (1998 to 2003) at TU Berlin. Claus has published internationally on the subject of parametric modeling of free-form surfaces and numerical hull form optimization.

He is member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (USA).

Claus (born in Ratingen in 1966) is married and father of three children. Raised on the island of Spiekeroog, he loves the sea and the boats and boards floating on it. He speaks German, English, and Icelandic.

Stefan Harries, Dr.-Ing., MSE

Stefan Harries is co-founder and shareholder of FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS. He studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt (BSc equivalent in 1988) and naval architecture at both the University of Michigan (MSE in 1990) and the Technical University Berlin (Diplom-Ingenieur in 1992). In 1998 he received his doctoral degree (PhD equivalent) from TU Berlin. His previous work experience includes five years (1993 to 1998) as scientist with Prof. Nowacki´s ship design group at TU Berlin, two years as head of Marine Hydrodynamics at the Berlin Model Basin VWS (1998 to 2000) and three years as head of TU Berlin’s research unit Design and Operation of Marine Systems (2001 to 2003). He has published extensively on the subject of parametric modeling and optimization of ship hull forms.

He is associated with the Technical University Berlin as lecturer for Computer Aided Design. He is member of the Schiffbautechnische Gesellschaft (Germany) and member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (USA).

Stefan (born in Frankfurt upon Main in 1966) is married and father of three children. He loves sailing, surfing and contemporary literature. He speaks German, English, and Italian.