Hanwha Ocean steps up bid for Canadian submarines, partners with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College

[Financial News] Hanwha Ocean is making an all-out push to win Canada’s next-generation submarine acquisition program, the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), which is estimated to be worth up to 60 trillion won. By working with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College in Canada, the company plans to help strengthen the competitiveness of the country’s shipbuilding industry and take the lead in training shipbuilding professionals.
On the 18th (local time) in Toronto, Canada, Hanwha Ocean signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ontario Shipyards for strategic cooperation. Hanwha Ocean also signed a three-party letter of intent (LOI) for strategic collaboration with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College.
Canadian lawmakers Aslam Rana, Chris Bittle, John-Paul Danko and Sima Acan also attended the event, celebrating the close cooperation between Canada and South Korea in the shipbuilding and naval sectors.
Under the MOU, Hanwha Ocean will provide Ontario Shipyards with advanced shipbuilding technologies and operational know-how, including design and engineering consulting, production planning and process management, quality management systems, and smart shipyard-based advanced processes. Through this support, the company plans to gradually rebuild Ontario’s large-vessel construction capabilities and help strengthen Canada’s long-term naval industrial base.
The two companies are pursuing cooperation with an eye on future Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) projects, including Canada’s next-generation submarine program. Hanwha Ocean will provide technical support from the early preparation stages, such as design work, for ships that Ontario Shipyards will begin building this year. The partners intend to use these projects as flagship cases to demonstrate next-generation shipbuilding capabilities.
Through its strategic partnership with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College, Hanwha Ocean will establish a "shipbuilding workforce development hub" within Ontario Shipyards. Linked to a 10–15 year plan to expand and modernize the yard, the initiative will train key skilled workers in areas such as welding, fabrication, marine machinery, electrical work, robotics and non-destructive testing.
The three institutions plan to move forward in stages by building an integrated training campus within Ontario Shipyards and developing industry-led advanced education programs. They will also establish a workforce development system aligned with the shipyard’s production and expansion plans and jointly identify applied research projects that use new technologies such as virtual reality, robotics and digital twins.
If it secures the CPSP contract, Hanwha Ocean plans to pursue additional strategic investments in Ontario, including the possible establishment of a specialized shipbuilding education and training center, and to expand industrial cooperation with local companies. The goal is to develop the Great Lakes region into a defense shipbuilding hub and position it as Canada’s advanced maritime manufacturing center.
Shaun Padulo, CEO of Ontario Shipyards, said, "Ontario Shipyards is playing a leading role in rebuilding large-scale shipbuilding capabilities in the province of Ontario." He added, "Through our partnership with Hanwha Ocean, we will introduce world-class shipbuilding expertise and proven production systems, accelerating the restoration of shipbuilding capacity, the creation of high-quality jobs, and the strengthening of the maritime and defense industrial base in Ontario and across Canada."
Hanwha Ocean CEO Hee-cheul Kim stated, "The two agreements we signed today represent the future of Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards, and they will also serve to deepen the friendship between Canada and the Republic of Korea."
He went on to say, "This is meaningful not just as a simple transfer of technology, but as a way to embed Hanwha Ocean’s advanced shipbuilding processes and operational know-how in Canada." He emphasized, "We will firmly establish the foundation needed to successfully carry out Canadian naval programs, including the CPSP."


ggg@fnnews.com Kang Gu-gwi Reporter