The yard is one of the most modern shipbuilding yards in Europe. HDW is one of the world's technological leaders, not only in merchant, but also in naval shipbuilding.
With a workforce of around 3200, HDW is one of the most important industrial employers in the northernmost German federal state Schleswig-Holstein.
Right from the start, HDW made an important contribution to the development of modern dedicated container ships and is one of the most experienced shipyards today in the construction of container ships. The path has led from construction of the world's first all-container ships in 1972, the first "Ship of the Future" vessels in 1985, the first post-Panamax ships with 4,300 TEU in 1988, the innovative open top container ships in 1993, to the world's first 5,300 TEU ships in 1995 and to the 8,000 TEU ships which have already been fully developed. The latest development covers the open top reefer container ship with 1.000 TEU, approx. 2.5 million cft, which are the largest units in the world.

• Seagoing ship
• Naval vessel
• Inland waterway craft
• Ship for special assignment
• Fishing vessel
• Cruising ship and ferry