Canadian Companies and Universities Join Hanwha Ocean’s Global Submarine Supply Chain Through New Partnerships

March 5, 2026, OTTAWA, ON — Canadian companies and universities from Ontario and Atlantic Canada are stepping into a global submarine supply chain following the signing of five industry Teaming Agreements and three university Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) announced today at an Ottawa partnership event tied to Canada’s Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).

The agreements connect Canadian manufacturers, defence technology firms, and academic institutions directly with international naval shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean and its global technology partners, creating new pathways for domestic innovation, applied research, and skilled workforce development aligned with Canada’s “Buy Canadian” policy and Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) objectives.

The partnerships were formalized during Hanwha Ocean’s CPSP Partners’ Day at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, which brought together Canadian industry leaders, universities, government stakeholders, and international defence partners.

Each Teaming Agreement is structured as a tri-party collaboration between Hanwha Ocean, a Canadian company, and a South Korean or international defence technology partner, establishing integrated cooperation frameworks across critical submarine capability areas.
The five Teaming Agreements include partnerships with the following Canadian companies:

• GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc. and Ultra Maritime (both Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), partnering with Hanwha Ocean and LIG Nex1 (Korea) on underwater acoustic SONAR and undersea warfare systems;
• Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA Energy Systems) (Prince Edward Island) and J-Squared Technologies Inc. (Kanata, Ontario), partnering with Hanwha Ocean and KTE (Korea) on power distribution, electrical and control systems, embedded computing, and integrated platform management systems;
• Safran Trusted 4D Canada (Montreal, Quebec), partnering with Hanwha Ocean and Safran Electronics & Defense (France) to combine Canadian integration expertise with advanced optronics, inertial navigation systems, radar, and defence electronics technologies in support of submarine and naval programs.

In parallel, Hanwha Ocean signed MOUs with the University of Toronto, University of New Brunswick, and Dalhousie University, establishing cooperation in research, innovation, and education in areas including:

• AI-enabled naval and maritime systems;
• Digital and simulation technologies;
• Underwater acoustic and stealth technologies;
• Arctic-capable vessel technologies; and
• Intelligent and automated technologies for crew reduction.

The academic partnerships are intended to advance next-generation maritime and defence capabilities while supporting workforce development and applied research collaboration in Canada.

The Ottawa event was attended by representatives from Canadian economic development agencies, academia, industry, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Canada, and military stakeholders, underscoring the broader economic and strategic significance of Canada–Korea defence cooperation.

Hanwha Ocean said it will continue expanding partnerships with Canadian industry and research institutions as it advances its CPSP proposal, positioning itself as a long-term industrial partner committed to strengthening Canada’s defence ecosystem, innovation capacity, and skilled workforce.

Hanwha Ocean

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