AtkinsRéalis and Hanwha Ocean sign Memorandum of Understanding to support Canada’s submarine capability
Press Release + Noah Note
Montreal: April 14, 2026 – AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, and Hanwha Ocean, a global shipbuilding and submarine manufacturer, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on opportunities to strengthen Canada’s submarine capabilities and reinforce a resilient Canadian defence industrial base.
Aligned with Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, the agreement marks an initial step in an ambitious partnership between AtkinsRéalis and Hanwha Ocean and creates a framework for long-term collaboration to explore opportunities supporting Canada’s submarine capability, including the sustainment and development of domestic industrial capacity. It combines AtkinsRéalis’ deep expertise in submarine infrastructure across the entire lifecycle - including its extensive experience supporting the UK’s submarine enterprise - with Hanwha Ocean’s proven submarine design and manufacturing capability.
“At a time when resilience and sovereignty matter more than ever, the Defence Industrial Strategy reinforces a simple idea: security and prosperity go together,” said Stéphanie Vaillancourt, President, Canada, AtkinsRéalis. “This memorandum of understanding is a practical step to explore how AtkinsRéalis’ global experience in defence, combined with our Canadian capabilities, can support Hanwha Ocean in strengthening Canada’s sovereign submarine readiness and resilience, which will in turn support a high-tech manufacturing base and generate long-term economic benefits at home.”
“Hanwha Ocean believes strong submarine programs are built on capable partners, proven delivery and a clear industrial framework,” said Steve SK Jeong, Senior Executive Vice President, Hanwha Ocean. “AtkinsRéalis brings strong experience in complex systems and lifecycle support, together with a strong understanding of the Canadian environment. Through this MoU, we have established a practical basis to explore how our teams can work together in submarine capability, industrial capability development in Canada, and long-term support, with the aim of creating lasting value for Canadian industry.”
The MoU identifies three areas of intended collaboration:
Submarine infrastructure design and delivery across the full platform lifecycle, working alongside government, industry and the Royal Canadian Navy;
Supporting the establishment of manufacturing capability in Canada, helping to create the industrial base required for domestic submarine production and related initiatives;
Leveraging the strengths, technologies, and industrial capabilities of AtkinsRéalis and Hanwha Ocean in the Nuclear, Power, and wider Defence sectors to generate new strategic collaborative opportunities for Korean and Canadian industry in these high-technology markets. Such collaboration would support Hanwha Ocean's Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) obligations.
AtkinsRéalis has extensive experience across the UK's submarine enterprise, supporting both Ministry of Defence organisations and OEMs. The company's portfolio includes working with Rolls-Royce Submarines for over 27 years, with AtkinsRéalis recently appointed to a multi-year nuclear and engineering partnership and as fissile design partner alongside Mott MacDonald, both appointments positioning AtkinsRéalis to support the delivery of the trilateral AUKUS submarine programme. AUKUS will deliver the UK’s next generation of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and support Australia in acquiring this capability for the first time. Additionally, since 2010 AtkinsRéalis has provided a range of expertise to Babcock International in its work at Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth, England, where the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered submarines are maintained, refuelled and overhauled.
In addition to its expertise in the defence sector, AtkinsRéalis is the steward of CANDU® nuclear technology, operating on four continents, including in South Korea, where three CANDU® reactors are in operation today out of a total of four built since 1977.
About Hanwha Ocean
Hanwha Ocean is a leading global shipbuilder with more than four decades of experience in complex naval and commercial shipbuilding programs. Supported by its large-scale, integrated shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, that spans 5-square kilometres and has more than 31,000 employees, the company combines proven industrial capacity with operational experience to deliver modern, in-service naval platforms backed by a resilient through-life support model. Since its establishment in 1973, Hanwha Ocean has delivered more than 1,400 vessels worldwide, and has built deep expertise in the design, construction, and sustainment of submarines and surface combatants for the Republic of Korea Navy. The company builds approximately 45 commercial and naval ships each year. For more information, visit: www.hanwhaocean.com.
About AtkinsRéalis
Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital.
News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Noah Note: Pulling the Atkins csrd is NASTY work. I mean, I expected them to show up eventually. It is AtkinsRéalis. They will always find a way to get a piece of the action as God has mandated them a permanent seat in any major Canadian project.
I think people forget that AtkinsRéalis has an extemsive history working on submarines. They do a good job here of explaining their role and history, though didn't really highlight the new December agreement with Rolls-Royce that they casually dropped.
AtkinsRéalis is a major player for both thr UK and Australia, as well as the future AUKUS-SSN. It makes sense that they would find a place to line up with CPSP. I do want to emphasize they ain't coming from nowhere. The mention of nuclear is especially interesting, as nuclear cooperation has been one avenue Team Korea has been wanting to explore more of, but so far hasn't been able to really crack.
Of course as an MOU there isn't much to really say. We have clear goals set out, including in Defence and Energy, however details to far are remaining lacking. It is very clear though that Hanwha is trying to build out a large submarine support team, backed by others such as Babcock, HHI, Algoma, PCL and establishing secondary yard parters like Ontario Shipyards that might not be the primary partner on submarine maintenance, but provide a potential tier two yard to play support.
Funny that they're bringing together a lot of the UK guys together. Something I'm noting as im writing. If Hanwha can get Rolls-Royce on their side, assuming there is interest in doing more with the MTU engines, that would sorta round out the major players I would expect to see involved.
Although I should note that that KSS-III uses engines produced under license from STX Engines, though that may not end up being the case for us. I don't know. Either way it is interesting to see the clear formulation of a specific set of partners coming together.
Sorry, but to me they will always be SNC-Lavelin. My confidence in the Hanhwa offer being on-time and on-budget just went down significantly with that other group involved..