A delegation of 40 from the Davie Supplier Association, now known as Naval Québec, arrived in Finland for a week of discussions, according to the shipyard’s update.

Following the acquisition of Helsinki Shipyard in 2023, this strategic move opens up partnership opportunities between the Finnish and Québec shipbuilding industries, the company said in a statement.

“At Davie, we have the Western world’s largest icebreaker order book, and we passionately advocate for heightened investment from NATO countries to safeguard the Arctic regions. Leveraging the expertise of both Canadian and Finnish shipbuilding on a global scale, we aim to bolster transatlantic partnerships and explore new avenues for growth. The collaborative exchange of technologies and expertise will undoubtedly benefit both the Finnish and Québec shipbuilding industries,” said James Davies, CEO of Davie.

Naval Québec added that it hopes the move will improve supply chain efficiency and technological advances for both shipyards.

“As builder of Canada’s future Program Icebreakers, Davie has a crucial role, not only bolstering national maritime capabilities but also in driving economic growth, technology transfer and innovation within the Canadian and Finnish maritime ecosystems,” said Pierre Drapeau, CEO of Naval Québec. “We see significant opportunities to collaborate with Finnish companies, renowned for their robust maritime technologies and expertise.”

Katerina Ioannou, senior advisor in global growth at Business Finland, added: “There will be many partnerships and knowledge transfer opportunities for Finnish shipbuilding companies in the collaboration between Davie and Helsinki shipyards. Business Finland will continue to work with both ecosystems, in Finland and Canada, to foster the creation of solid know-how sharing.”

In June 2023, a Finnish delegation visited Davie to introduce their expertise. Continuing these discussions, Minister Rydman led a delegation of 18 companies to Davie in early March 2024. During the visit, Finnish companies presented their businesses to companies based in Québec and Ontario, with the goal of aligning objectives and forging partnerships.