As the 40-member delegation from the Davie Supplier Association, now known as Naval Québec, arrived in Finland for a week-long mission, it opens exciting partnership opportunities between the Finnish and Québec shipbuilding industries. This initiative holds the promise of collaborative ventures and shared advancements in maritime technology, Business Finland stated.
The acquisition of Helsinki Shipyard by Davie in 2023 has solidified Davie’s position as the global leader in constructing environmentally friendly ships designed for operation in the harshest environment on Earth—the Arctic. This strategic move not only fosters synergies between Québec and Finland but also elevates their stature as premier hubs of naval innovation and expertise.
Moreover, the robust relationship between Davie and Helsinki is poised to create opportunities for suppliers, foster collaboration, facilitate the transfer of know-how, provide access to resources, and boost export potential.
“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 anticipates that this increased collaboration 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,” stated Pierre Drapeau, CEO of Naval Québec. “We see significant opportunities to collaborate with Finnish companies, renowned for their robust maritime technologies and expertise.”
“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,” said Katerina Ioannou, Senior Advisor in Global Growth at Business Finland.
This collaboration is not a recent development, as evidenced by a Finnish delegation’s visit to Davie in June 2023, just months prior to the Davie-Helsinki acquisition. Finnish companies introduced their expertise to Davie during this visit. Continuing these discussions, Minister Rydman led a delegation of 18 companies to Davie in early March 2024. During this visit, Business Finland collaborated closely with the Davie Suppliers Association (now Naval Québec) on an event where Finnish companies presented their businesses to a large audience of companies based in Québec and Ontario. The event facilitated business-to-business meetings, enabling focused conversations between Finnish and Canadian companies to align objectives and forge partnerships.
(Photo from Business Finland)
