Hanwha Ocean has signed a strategic MOU with Ontario Shipyards aimed at accelerating the return of large-scale vessel construction in Ontario and strengthening Canada’s ability to deliver future naval programmes. In a parallel move, Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards, and Mohawk College agreed through an LOI to create a shipbuilding training hub inside the Hamilton facility, designed to meet long-term workforce needs.
Together, the two agreements set out an integrated industrial and skills-development framework intended to position Ontario as a scalable centre of excellence for defence-related shipbuilding and advanced marine manufacturing in the Great Lakes region.
Under the MOU, Hanwha Ocean will provide structured technical and operational support to Ontario Shipyards to improve production readiness and overall yard performance. The collaboration covers design and engineering, production planning and build sequencing, quality management systems, and the adoption of advanced processes, including smart-yard best practices. The stated intent is to help restore large-vessel construction capability in Ontario, raise efficiency, and reinforce long-term naval industrial readiness.
As a practical step, Hanwha Ocean will support the design and build work for a Training and Recruitment vessel that Ontario Shipyards plans to start constructing in 2026, serving as a demonstration of next-generation shipbuilding capability in the province.
If the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) is awarded, Hanwha Ocean intends to pursue additional strategic investment in Ontario. This includes plans to establish a dedicated shipbuilding training centre and expand industrial cooperation with Ontario-based suppliers.
The LOI sets a structured pathway to address ongoing shortages of skilled trades and technical professionals required for shipbuilding. The partners plan an integrated training hub embedded at the Hamilton shipyard, develop industry-led credentials and specialised shipbuilding certifications, support apprenticeship and co-op routes aligned with production needs, and explore applied research in automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing.
Mohawk College will lead academic programming across skilled trades and technology disciplines, including welding, electrical, millwright, marine mechanics, robotics, logistics, and non-destructive evaluation. Ontario Shipyards will provide facilities and direct integration of trainees into the workforce in line with its expansion plans, while Hanwha Ocean will contribute technical advisory support and access to global industrial networks to align training with international standards and operational best practices.
Executives from Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards, and Mohawk College said the partnership is designed to embed advanced operational know-how in Ontario’s yard environment, build a durable pipeline of Canadian talent, and support Canada’s objective of strengthening sovereign defence industrial capability, including the construction, maintenance, and sustainment of complex naval platforms over the long term.
