► 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.

Quotes

“CPSP represents an opportunity to build long-term industrial partnerships that deliver real value for Canada. Through these agreements, we are strengthening domestic capabilities, supporting regional economic development, and helping build a future-ready Canadian defence workforce. By combining Canada’s advanced technologies with Korea’s proven submarine manufacturing expertise, we believe we can deliver a solution aligned with Canada’s national interests.”- Glenn Copeland, CEO, Hanwha Defence Canada

“These agreements demonstrate how Canadian undersea and marine technology companies can contribute meaningfully to a global submarine program. For Atlantic Canada, this represents an opportunity to further strengthen our expertise in underwater acoustics and position regional innovation at the centre of advanced naval capability.”- Paul Yeatman, President, GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc

“Through this collaboration with Hanwha Ocean, AKA Energy Systems is bringing Canadian power integration and control system expertise into an international naval program. It’s an opportunity to showcase the homegrown innovation and skill coming from Prince Edward Island. This agreement will create opportunities for high-value engineering work in Prince Edward Island while supporting the development of more efficient and resilient maritime platforms.” – Jason Aspin, CEO, AKA Energy Systems

“As a Canadian leader in marine research and education, the University of New Brunswick is proud to partner with Hanwha on this important collaboration. This agreement creates meaningful opportunities for applied research and hands-on student engagement in advanced marine and defence technologies. By aligning our academic expertise with global industry leadership, we will strengthen Canada’s maritime innovation ecosystem and long-term industrial capacity.”- Dr. Paul J. Mazerolle, President and Vice Chancellor, University of New Brunswick

“Partnering with Hanwha Ocean allows us to connect leading-edge research in areas such as artificial intelligence and advanced systems engineering with real-world maritime applications. These collaborations strengthen Canada’s innovation ecosystem, elevate our sovereign capabilities and prepare our students to contribute to complex global engineering programs.” – Illan Kramer, Director of International Research Partnerships, University of Toronto

“Dalhousie University is proud to partner with Hanwha Ocean through this Memorandum of Understanding and to support the research and talent capacity at our university committed to advancing Canada’s leadership in ocean science, marine engineering, and Arctic research. As a university deeply connected to our province and region’s maritime and defence communities, we see this collaboration as an opportunity to open pathways for our researchers and students to make important contributions to an initiative with the potential to enhance Canadian sovereignty, while accelerating innovation in AI-enabled naval systems, autonomous technologies, and Arctic-capable vessel design.” – Dr. Graham Gagnon, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Dalhousie University

“J-Squared Technologies’ partnership with Hanwha Ocean is a testament to decades of leadership in high-performing embedded computing and mission-critical systems integration and the power of strategic collaboration. We’re proud of contributions to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project that are helping to advance Canada’s naval defence-industrial base and technological future.” – Andrew Woollard, President, J-Squared Technologies Inc.

“Safran Trusted 4D Canada welcomes this collaboration with Hanwha Ocean as an important step in strengthening Canada’s contribution to advanced naval capabilities. Through this Teaming Agreement, we are leveraging our expertise in trusted navigation and mission-critical systems to support next-generation submarine programs while expanding Canada’s role in the global defence supply chain.” – Louis Girardin, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defence Canada

“Ultra Maritime is proud to bring advanced sovereign capabilities to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. With decades of proven success supporting the Royal Canadian Navy’s Victoria-class submarines, Ultra Maritime brings unmatched experience and expertise in undersea warfare, as well as an established Canadian industrial footprint.” – Peter Currie, Vice President of Finance, Ultra Marine