Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean company, and Ontario Shipyards, Canada, have signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation to accelerate the return of large-scale shipbuilding in Ontario and strengthen Canada's ability to implement future shipbuilding programs.
According to Naval News, at the same time, Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College have signed a letter of intent, which implies the creation of a shipbuilding training center, which meets the long-term needs of the industry for qualified personnel.
Ontario Shipyards, Canada
Ontario shipyards
Collectively, these agreements create a coordinated industrial development and workforce building system designed to position Ontario as a hub of naval shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing expertise in the Great Lakes region.
As part of the bilateral memorandum of cooperation, South Korea's Hanwha Ocean will provide technical and operational support to Canadian partners to improve the efficiency of the shipyards and their readiness for production.
Cooperation will focus on the following areas:
- • Design and engineering;
- • Production planning and construction sequencing;
- • Quality management systems;
- • Advanced shipbuilding processes and smart shipyard best practices.
These measures are designed to accelerate the recovery of large-scale shipbuilding in Ontario, increase production efficiency, and support the long-term readiness of the naval industry.
As part of this collaboration, Hanwha Ocean will provide support in the design and construction of the training vessel, which will begin production at Ontario Shipyards in 2026.
If it wins the tender for the construction of new diesel-electric submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy, the South Korean company Hanwha Ocean intends to continue strategic investments in Ontario, including the creation of a specialized shipbuilding training center and the expansion of industrial cooperation with suppliers from the region.
The trilateral agreement between Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College aims to address the ongoing shortage of skilled workers and technicians crucial to shipbuilding. The cooperation will focus on the following issues:
- • Establishment of an integrated training center at Hamilton Shipyard in Ontario;
- • development of industry standards and specialized certificates in the field of shipbuilding;
- • Support of vocational training and cooperative education programs that meet production requirements;
- • applied research in the field of automation, robotics and digitalization of production.
As part of this collaboration, Mohawk College will lead academic programs in a variety of professional and technological disciplines, including welding, electrical engineering, plumbing, shipbuilding, robotics, logistics, and non-destructive testing. Ontario Shipyards will provide production facilities and direct staff integration in line with its production and expansion plans. In return, Hanwha Ocean will provide technical advisory support and access to its global industry connections to align training with international standards and best practices.
"Our goal is not just to transfer expertise, but to introduce advanced shipbuilding processes and operational know-how directly into the work of Ontario shipyards," explained Hanwha Ocean CEO Hee–Chel Kim. "In this way, we strengthen the Canadian industrial base, support the creation of highly skilled jobs in Canada and ensure the long-term readiness of personnel."
