Canada, Finland and the United States will continue joint work on Arctic and polar icebreakers in 2027, following meetings on production capacity, worker training and industry bottlenecks, Canada's Defence Investment Agency said.
National coordinators met in Québec City and Ottawa from Oct. 19-21 under the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, known as the ICE Pact. Their discussions covered 2026 priorities, including expanding shipbuilding output and participation, preparing workers for shipbuilding and Arctic technology roles, and raising the partners' visibility in the global icebreaker market.
The agency's statement reported that icebreakers for all three partner countries were under contract and in production. It described the progress as a sign of closer industrial cooperation and said the partnership's Arctic and polar shipbuilding capacity would be strengthened.
More than 75 firms representing Canada, Finland and the United States joined an industry day organized by Naval Quebec. Panels and roundtables brought firms together with Canadian industry and government representatives to present capabilities and discuss potential areas of collaboration.
Delegates visited Davie Shipyard in Lévis, Quebec, to review progress on Polar Max, a polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. The agency said the vessel was being built under a dual-construction arrangement at Davie's Nordic Yard Finland in Helsinki.
Canada cited its recently launched National Shipbuilding Academy as a workforce initiative. The agency said the program would make shipbuilding and repair careers more visible and provide training pathways for skills in demand.
The coordinators agreed to carry joint work into 2027, focusing on industrial growth, international awareness, workforce development and innovation. In Ottawa, participants also considered deeper engagement with allies, aligning requirements, exchanging acquisition insights and cooperation on capability development and procurement. The agency identified work across the value chain to ease bottlenecks and improve delivery timelines as another area of focus.
