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Irving Shipbuilding has invested $750,000 in the University of New Brunswick’s Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence as part of its value proposition commitments under the National Shipbuilding Strategy – Canada’s 30-year plan to renew the fleets of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“Irving Shipbuilding, which is developing the next generation of Canadian surface-vessel competence, tends to be a leader in new technology adaptation,” says Dr. Mohsen Mohammadi, the centre’s director of research and development, “It under-stands that if you want to make the best ship, you have to have the best technology, and the Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence is providing that technology.”
Irving Shipbuilding president Kevin McCoy stated when the company’s commitment was announced that the centre’s new technology was a potential game-changer. “Initiatives like the Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence have the potential to change and advance the face of shipbuilding and other sectors in Canada,” he says. “Our value proposition commitments allow us to invest in game-changers like this one and help achieve the National Shipbuilding Strategy’s goal of creating a sustainable and vibrant Canadian marine industry.”
In 2011, Irving Shipbuilding was selected by the Canadian government to build the Royal Canadian Navy’s new combat fleet, a program that comprises 21 vessels and $25-billion over a period of 30 years. It is currently building six Harry DeWolf-class Arctic offshore patrol ships for the Canadian federal government. The ships are designed to operate in first-year ice of 120-centimetre thickness, allowing the Royal Canadian Navy to have unescorted access to areas of the Arctic that were previously inaccessible.
Produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved in its creation.