Hanwha Ocean forms new Canadian partnerships tied to patrol submarine program

March 9, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

Canadian companies and universities from Ontario and Atlantic Canada are entering the global submarine supply chain after signing five industry teaming agreements and three university memoranda of understanding with Hanwha Ocean at an Ottawa event linked to Canada’s Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).

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, to establish integrated cooperation frameworks across critical submarine capability areas.

The five teaming agreements involve several Canadian companies working alongside international partners. GeoSpectrum Technologies and Ultra Maritime, both based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, will collaborate with Hanwha Ocean and LIG Nex1 of South Korea on underwater acoustic sonar and undersea warfare systems.

In another partnership, Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA Energy Systems) from Prince Edward Island and J‑Squared Technologies in Kanata, Ontario, will work with Hanwha Ocean and KTE on power distribution, electrical and control systems, embedded computing, and integrated platform management systems.

Meanwhile, Safran Trusted 4D Canada in Montreal will partner with Hanwha Ocean and Safran Electronics & Defense of France to combine Canadian integration expertise with advanced optronics, inertial navigation systems, radar, and defence electronics technologies for 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.

The collaboration will focus on areas such as AI-enabled naval and maritime systems, digital and simulation technologies, underwater acoustic and stealth capabilities, Arctic-capable vessel technologies, and intelligent and automated systems designed to reduce crew requirements.

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

“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, commented.

“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, said.

“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, stated.

Hanwha Ocean said it will continue expanding partnerships with Canadian industry and research institutions as it advances its CPSP proposal.