Canadian Defense Procurement Special Envoy Visits Hanwha Ocean's Geoje Plant

Stephen Fuhr, Special Envoy for Canadian Defense Procurement, visited Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant on the morning of February 2. Minister Fuhr is the chief official responsible for the procurement of the Canadian Submarine Project (CPSP), a program valued at 60 trillion won.

On this day, Minister Fuhr toured the assembly plant at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje site with more than 30 Canadian government and business representatives, inspecting production automation facilities utilizing welding robots. Representatives from major Canadian shipyards, including Ontario Shipyard, Irving Shipbuilding, Davie, and Seaspan Shipyard, also accompanied the visit, further strengthening cooperation between Korea and Canada in the shipbuilding and marine sectors.

Minister Fuhr then boarded the Jang Youngsil submarine, which is currently undergoing sea trials, to examine its technological capabilities and performance. Key executives from Hanwha Ocean, including CEO Kim Heecheol, as well as government officials such as Vice Minister of National Defense Lee Doohee, participated in the tour of the Jang Youngsil. After boarding, Minister Fuhr commented, "It was an incredible experience. The internal technology was impressive."

Steven Pure, Special Envoy for Canadian Defense Procurement, along with 29 Canadian businesspeople, visited Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant on the 2nd, touring the production facilities and boarding the Jang Youngsil ship.

원본보기 아이콘

Minister Fuhr also visited other submarine construction sites and expressed great interest in Hanwha Ocean's submarine production capabilities and advanced manufacturing technologies. Ted Kirkpatrick, Vice President of Ontario Shipyard, stated, "Based on the capabilities and track record we observed at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard, it is significant that we can now explore how to effectively utilize Ontario Shipyard's facilities and workforce." Jean-Fran?ois S?guin, Vice President of Irving Shipbuilding, also remarked, "This visit helped us better understand the role of companies in ensuring the success of the Canadian submarine project."

As the chief official overseeing Canada's defense procurement policy, Minister Fuhr is responsible for publicly explaining the strategic necessity, industrial participation, and alliance cooperation direction for major projects like the CPSP. In particular, he manages and supervises the Defence Investment Agency, which was established last year, and is effectively leading the CPSP.

On this day, Hanwha Ocean explained to Minister Fuhr its plans for industrial cooperation with Canadian local companies related to the CPSP and conveyed its intention to strengthen collaboration so that Korea and Hanwha can become key partners in Canada's global economic and security supply chains.

Steven Pure, Special Envoy for Defense Procurement of Canada (second from left), visited Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant on the 2nd and received an explanation while viewing the model of the Jang Yeong-sil ship.

원본보기 아이콘

Previously, on January 26 (local time), Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for strategic investment and cooperation with five Canadian companies in the steel, artificial intelligence (AI), and space sectors to win the CPSP contract. In addition, they are pursuing more than ten cooperation MOUs with Canadian companies, supporting the Canadian government's 'Buy Canadian' policy.

Kim Heecheol, CEO of Hanwha Ocean, stated, "Minister Fuhr's visit represents an on-site inspection of the CPSP project proposed by Hanwha Ocean," emphasizing, "We are a trusted partner that provides optimal solutions to the Royal Canadian Navy while growing together with Canadian industry."

After visiting Hanwha Ocean, Minister Fuhr and his delegation visited the Jinhae Naval Submarine Command to observe the Navy's education and training system, as well as its submarine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.