Canada, South Korea Partner to Rebuild Great Lakes Shipbuilding and Train Submarine Workforce

A major new partnership between South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards aims to bring large-scale shipbuilding back to Canada’s Great Lakes — while building the skilled workforce needed to support future submarine construction.

The two companies have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding under which Hanwha Ocean will provide technical and operational expertise across ship design, engineering, production planning, quality control, and advanced yard processes. The goal: accelerate the return of complex vessel construction to Ontario’s industrial corridor.

In parallel, Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards have teamed up with Mohawk College to establish an integrated training facility embedded directly within Ontario Shipyards’ Hamilton yard. The initiative is designed to tackle long-standing skilled labor shortages that have constrained Canada’s marine and defense sectors.

“Our objective is not simply to transfer expertise, but to embed Hanwha Ocean’s advanced shipbuilding processes directly into Ontario Shipyards’ operations,” said Hee-Chul Kim, President and CEO of Hanwha Ocean. “By doing so, we strengthen Canada’s industrial base and ensure long-term workforce readiness.”

As an early proof point, Hanwha Ocean will support the design and construction of a Training and Recruitment Vessel that Ontario Shipyards plans to begin building in 2026.

The workforce development effort is central to the strategy. Mohawk College will lead programming in welding, electrical trades, millwright work, marine mechanics, robotics, logistics, and non-destructive testing — with training taking place inside an active shipyard environment. Hanwha will provide technical advisory support and align curriculum standards with global best practices.

“At its core, this partnership is about people,” said Shaun Padulo, President and CEO of Ontario Shipyards. “With Hanwha Ocean working alongside our teams and Mohawk College training the next generation in a live yard, we’re building the workforce that will deliver and sustain Canadian ships for decades.”

The agreement also carries long-term strategic implications. If Hanwha Ocean is selected under Canada’s Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, the company has indicated it would pursue deeper industrial investment in Ontario, including a dedicated shipbuilding training center and expanded cooperation with regional suppliers.

Hanwha Ocean operates one of the world’s largest integrated shipyards in Geoje, South Korea, employing more than 31,000 workers and delivering roughly 45 commercial and naval vessels annually. Since 1973, the company has delivered more than 1,400 ships and developed deep expertise in submarine and surface combatant construction for the Republic of Korea Navy.

Ontario Shipyards operates facilities in Hamilton, Port Weller, and Thunder Bay, where it has long focused on vessel life extensions, refits, and in-service support for the Canadian Coast Guard and commercial operators. This partnership signals a potential shift toward rebuilding domestic newbuild capacity in the Great Lakes region — something Canada’s marine sector has struggled to sustain for decades.

If successful, the initiative could position Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe as a renewed center for advanced marine manufacturing — aligned with Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy and the Royal Canadian Navy’s future force requirements.

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