Azipod is a trademarked azimuth thruster pod design, a marine propulsion unit consisting of a fixed pitch propeller mounted on a steerable gondola ("pod") containing the electric motor driving the propeller, allowing ships to be more maneuverable. They were developed in Finland in the late 1980s jointly by Wärtsilä Marine, Strömberg and the Finnish National Board of Navigation.[1]
Although "Azipod" is a registered brand name, it is sometimes used as a generic trademark for podded propulsion units manufactured by other companies.[2][3][4][5]