Representatives from Canada, Finland and the United States met to advance priorities under the collaboration to build Arctic and polar icebreakers
Officials from the governments of Canada, Finland and the United States met in Helsinki from May 6 to 7 under the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact), continuing to advance work to build the icebreakers required for a secure and economically strong Arctic.
These meetings mark an important step in moving from coordination to delivery. Partners are aligning industrial capacity, accelerating timelines, and strengthening supply chains to respond to growing strategic and commercial demand for icebreaking vessels. This work is expected to generate concrete outcomes, including sustained activity for shipyards, increased participation of domestic suppliers, and the creation of high-quality jobs across partner countries.
Delegates also visited key Finnish shipbuilding and marine technology companies, including Rauma Marine Constructions, Steerprop and Sata Shipbuilding, as well as the Canadian owned Helsinki Shipyard. At Helsinki Shipyard, work is already underway on the hull for one of Canada's future polar icebreakers, the Polar Max, demonstrating that collaboration under the ICE Pact is producing tangible progress today.
Building on the 2025 Joint Statement of Intent, partners agreed on a focused set of priorities for 2026:
- Enhancing trilateral industrial cooperation to expand production capacity and secure participation for companies across all three countries
- Implementing workforce development initiatives to train skilled workers and address labour needs in shipbuilding and Arctic technologies
- Improving international awareness and alignment to position partners in a growing global icebreaker market
- Facilitating cooperation across the value chain to reduce bottlenecks and improve delivery timelines
- Advancing common research and development initiatives to strengthen innovation in icebreaking, propulsion and Arctic operations
To support these priorities, delegates identified concrete actions for the coming year. These include deepening engagement with industry, assessing global demand and export potential, securing access to innovative technologies, and advancing workforce development through best practices and targeted training streams. Together, these measures will help ensure that the ICE Pact translates into measurable economic and industrial benefits.
This collaboration is already delivering results. Canada and Finland are supporting the United States in the construction of its Arctic Security Cutters through a trilateral industrial arrangement that brings together design expertise and shipyard capacity. Canadian companies, including Seaspan and Davie, are contributing to this effort, supporting jobs in Canada while reinforcing North American and transatlantic industrial capacity.
Partners also agreed to deepen engagement with industry to better understand global demand and unlock export opportunities. This work will help ensure that investments made through the ICE Pact support long term growth, strengthen domestic supply chains, and enhance the competitiveness of Canadian firms in international markets.
At a time of rapid change in the Arctic, the ICE Pact is strengthening the ability of partners to respond with the infrastructure, expertise and industrial capacity required. Discussions are ongoing with like minded countries to explore opportunities to better align requirements, share acquisition insights, and consider potential collaborative approaches to capability development and procurement.
The progress achieved in Helsinki demonstrates that the ICE Pact is producing concrete results and positioning Canada and its partners to lead in a strategic sector that is essential to both economic growth and Arctic security.
