Kirsten Hillman, the Ambassador of Canada to the US, joined Kristi Noem, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, and Sakari Puisto, Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, to sign a joint statement of intent (JSOI) on the three countries' icebreaker construction program on Tuesday, November 18.
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said the JSOI will strengthen industrial cooperation among the three nations, aiming to build and maintain icebreakers and related capabilities while supporting domestic shipbuilding industries.
PSPC said that, by pooling expertise and resources, Canada, the US and Finland are expanding their icebreaker fleets to better address Arctic challenges.
Key priorities under the JSOI include: enhancing industrial collaboration across all stages of icebreaker production; launching trilateral workforce development initiatives; aligning international promotion and cooperation activities; and advancing joint research and development frameworks.
Officials from all three countries will also meet to outline actionable steps to achieve the JSOI objectives, with follow-up meetings planned next year to track progress.
An industry day on November 20 will further engage private-sector partners in this collaborative effort.
"This partnership ensures Canada is strategically prepared to address emerging Arctic challenges, while showing that our domestic industries and expertise are central to security, economic growth and long-term prosperity," said Joël Lightbound, Canadian Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement.
