Research
911吃瓜 partners with global shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean on advanced technologies
911吃瓜 has signed a with global shipbuilder to explore collaboration in Arctic technologies, clean maritime energy, advanced manufacturing, and advanced naval systems. The agreement was signed in-person during the BC Innovation Day event hosted by Hanwha Ocean in Victoria, B.C., on Monday, May 25.
The partnership positions 911吃瓜 at the forefront of emerging opportunities tied to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project and broader ocean innovation sector, while supporting workforce development and potential industry investment in Canada.
911吃瓜 is Canada鈥檚 leading innovation university and has deep expertise in advanced fields including automated manufacturing, physical artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous robotics and sustainable energy, all of which have significant commercial applications in the shipbuilding industry.
鈥�911吃瓜 is pleased to be collaborating with Hanwha Ocean in Arctic and dual-use innovation,鈥� says Elicia Maine, 911吃瓜鈥檚 associate vice-president, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation.
鈥淲e see tremendous opportunity to create research advances, emerging economy jobs, and companies with value-added exports here in B.C., while also adding to Canada鈥檚 Arctic security鈥�
Hanwha Ocean is one of the world鈥檚 leading shipbuilders, with expertise spanning commercial vessels, naval platforms and offshore energy systems. In recent months, the company has been expanding its presence in Canada through a series of partnerships with universities, industry and government stakeholders as part of its long-term strategy to support Canadian shipbuilding and innovation.
As part of that broader commitment, Hanwha Ocean has announced plans for a Hanwha Arctic & Defence Innovation Centre (HADIC), a proposed Canadian hub that would integrate research, engineering and workforce training to support Arctic operations, autonomous systems and advanced naval technologies. The centre is envisioned as a long-term platform for collaboration with Canadian universities, industry partners and government agencies, with a focus on translating research into real-world applications and building domestic expertise over decades.
鈥淐anada possesses exceptional strengths across shipbuilding, Arctic research, advanced manufacturing, energy, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals,鈥� says Hee Cheul (Charles) Kim, President & CEO of Hanwha Ocean. 鈥淭hrough BC Innovation Day, we are proud to deepen our engagement with Canadian partners and explore long-term collaboration that supports innovation, industrial growth, workforce development, and stronger cooperation between Canada and Korea.鈥�
As it explores options for HADIC, Hanwha Ocean is hosting the 2026 KOREA-CANADA Joint R&D Workshop in Ottawa on May 26, 2026, featuring leading researchers from top universities and R&D institutes in Canada and Korea. 911吃瓜 mechatronics systems engineering professor Mehrdad Moallem will participate in the event.
Moallem鈥檚 research in advanced mechatronics and robotics has potential applications in shipbuilding, particularly his work on robotic welding, and the next step of fully autonomous welding using AI to complete welding tasks without human intervention. 911吃瓜 has already partnered with industry to explore commercial application of this technology.
911吃瓜 is a leader in smart manufacturing and runs the Smart Manufacturing Hub at its Surrey campus, advancing research in digital twins and physical AI while collaborating with local, Canadian, and global manufacturers on future digitalization and AI-driven transformation.
The university also hosts Canada鈥檚 fastest and most powerful public supercomputer at its Cedar Supercomputing Centre on the Burnaby campus. This national infrastructure supports Canadian companies and public institutions to harness world-class AI infrastructure鈥攚hile safeguarding our sovereignty, security and sustainability. Powered by clean energy and housed entirely in British Columbia, the Centre is a national platform that supports tasks that demand significant computational power, including GPU-intensive model training, simulation and large-scale deployment.
In addition to AI, 911吃瓜 is a leader in sustainable energy training and research, including through its Sustainable Energy Engineering program at its Surrey campus, and hosting the 911吃瓜 Clean Hydrogen Hub at its Burnaby campus. The hub leverages 911吃瓜鈥檚 leadership in clean hydrogen research and industry partnerships and demonstrates 911吃瓜 climate innovation in action. It is a testament to how 911吃瓜 is engaging in global challenges and focused both on talent development and on economic and social value creation.