Who builds Starships?

[Captain Picard's Hair]

A curious question that I've wondered about.

Now, this is something that we have scant little canon evidence to go on, so it's all speculation. What agency or company(s) build Starfleet ships? Is it a branch of Starfleet? This would be supported by the fact we've seen SF officers like Harry Kim working to design ships, though we've also seen civilians, like Leah Brahms. Ben Sisko mentioned civilian jobs at a shipyard as well, IIRC. Is there something like an FNCC - "Federation Naval Construction Company," owned or sponsored by the Federation government like the USPS or Amtrak are (or were) over here? On the other hand, could there be private companies (bound by strict Fed law not to disclose technical details)?

[Deepcrush]

The fleetyards in Sol always seem to be attached to SF. But, I can't say for the yards outside of Sol.

[SuperSaiyaMan12]

This is where the 'no money' economy gets really stupid. What is there to motivate the workers on starships if they don't get paid?

[Captain Picard's Hair]

Is there something like an FNCC - "Federation Naval Construction Company," owned or sponsored by the Federation government like the USPS or Amtrak are (or were) over here?

Or maybe the FDIC, even.

The US now does use private contractors like Boeing or Lockheed Martin.

The fleetyards in Sol always seem to be attached to SF. But, I can't say for the yards outside of Sol.

There certainly is a Starfleet presence, though we've always seen already built ships, so there'd have to be one. We've never really seen the actual construction of a ship...

[Deepcrush]

This is where the 'no money' economy gets really stupid. What is there to motivate the workers on starships if they don't get paid?

Might be fun, I like building things.

Might be duty, just the same as joining the starfleet.

Might be something to do, better then sitting around.

[Sionnach Glic]

There appears to be no privately owned shipbuilding corporation in the Federation (indeed, there doesn't appear to be any corporations at all), so I'd imagine the construction facilities are all owned and maintained by Starfleet itself.

As for what would motivate them, who knows. I can't imagine anyone would get up and do such a difficult task for something like duty, and certainly not fun. Oh, I'm sure there's a few who would like to put a starship together, either for duty or fun, but not many.

I made up an idea that people may be "paid" in replicator or holodeck rations. You do X amount of hours working, you get Y amount of rations to get stuff from replicators, and Z amount of time in a holodeck. Depending on which job you do, Y and Z could be higher. It rationalises how people could concievable want to do difficult and unrewarding tasks for no money, while not actualy violating the whole "no money" stance the Federation has been clearly stated to use.

The only other possible way I can see the Federation having a completely unpaid workforce is via brainwashing, and I doubt they'd do that.
Then again, didn't we hear a mention of a re-education camp in one episode?

[Mark]

I can see some of the build work getting sub-contracted out to some civillian agencies, but they would need some super top-secret security clearences for the defensive and propulsion systems. In fact, civilian agencies could just lay the spaceframe and do full hull work, while Starfleet installs and calibrates it's own systems.

[Monroe]

I would imagine that all human companies are owned by the Federation since they're very commie like. That being said if they just could create a replicator large enough why even build ships when you can just pop them out?

[Tsukiyumi]

I got the feeling that replicator size wasn't the primary issue.

[Teaos]

Given that we have seen star fleet officers work in ship design and building I would imagin its just a branch of SF where engineers work.

[Sionnach Glic]

I can see some of the build work getting sub-contracted out to some civillian agencies, but they would need some super top-secret security clearences for the defensive and propulsion systems. In fact, civilian agencies could just lay the spaceframe and do full hull work, while Starfleet installs and calibrates it's own systems.

The problem is that those agencies don't seem to exist. Everything starship-related is Fed owned.

[Teaos]

Would SF let out side organisations handle its advanced tech?

[Sionnach Glic]

I'd say no to that. Too easy for another power to steal it that way.

[stitch626]

It's the tribbles.

[Deepcrush]

Could be they use automated shipyards with SF personnel as overseers. Would make the process move a lot better.