Hanwha Ocean Sets Sights on Canadian Shipbuilding Market... Builds Cooperation Framework with Local Shipyard and College

Strategic MOU with Ontario Shipyards to Rebuild Shipbuilding Capabilities and Transfer Technology

Three-Party LOI with Mohawk College to Establish a Shipyard Workforce Development Hub

Hanwha Ocean is accelerating its push into the North American shipbuilding and naval markets by joining forces with a local Canadian shipyard and college.

Hanwa Ocean announced on the 19th that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for strategic cooperation with Ontario Shipyards in Toronto, Canada, on the 18th. It also signed a three-party letter of intent (LOI) for strategic cooperation with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College.

Canadian Members of Parliament, including Aslam Rana, Chris Bittle, John-Paul Danko, and Shimaa Akl, attended the event and welcomed the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in the shipbuilding and naval industries.

Paul Armstrong, President of Mohawk College (front row, left), Kim Heechul, CEO of Hanwha Ocean (front row, center), and Sean Padulo, CEO of Ontario Shipyards (front row, right), are signing a letter of intent for strategic cooperation.

Hanwha Ocean plans to provide Ontario Shipyards with design and engineering consulting, production planning and process management, quality management system establishment, and advanced smart-shipyard-based processes, sharing both technology and operational know-how. Through this, the company aims to gradually rebuild Ontario’s large-vessel construction capabilities and contribute to strengthening the foundation of Canada’s naval industry.

The two companies are pursuing cooperation with future naval projects in mind, including the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), Canada’s next-generation submarine program. Hanwha Ocean will begin providing technical support from the design stage for ships that Ontario Shipyards will start building this year and plans to use this as a demonstration case for next-generation shipbuilding capabilities.

The three institutions will also establish a “Shipbuilding Workforce Development Hub” within Ontario Shipyards. Over the next 10 to 15 years, in connection with plans to expand and modernize the shipyard, they intend to train key skilled workers in welding, fabrication, marine machinery, electrical engineering, robotics, and non-destructive testing. They will also gradually promote the creation of an integrated education campus, the development of industry-led advanced training programs, and the identification of applied research projects based on virtual reality, robotics, and digital twin technologies.

If CPSP is awarded, they will also consider strategic investments such as establishing a shipbuilding-focused education and training center in Ontario and expanding industrial cooperation with local companies. The goal is to develop the Great Lakes region into a core hub for defense shipbuilding.

Sean Padulo, CEO of Ontario Shipyards, said, “By partnering with Hanwha Ocean and introducing world-class shipbuilding expertise and production systems, we will strengthen the industrial base for the marine and defense sectors in Ontario and across Canada.”

Kim Heechul, CEO of Hanwha Ocean, emphasized, “This cooperation goes beyond simple technology transfer; it is meaningful in that it embeds advanced shipbuilding processes and operational know-how locally. We will establish a foundation for the successful execution of Canadian naval programs, including CPSP.”