Austal and Harland & Wolff form an alliance to bring aluminium shipbuilding opportunities to UK

Aluminium shipbuilder Austal Australia and Harland & Wolff Group have signed a MoU to explore shipbuilding opportunities in the UK. An agreement was signed at the 2023 Indo-Pacific Maritime Exposition in Sydney, which outlines the transfer of technology, skills, and shipyard capabilities required to build the next generation of patrol vessels for the United Kingdom's maritime security agencies.

The agreement includes identifying opportunities in the UK market, such as the Border Force vessel replacement program, and working collaboratively in a non-exclusive partnership to pursue those opportunities.

Austal Limited's CEO, Paddy Gregg, views this agreement as a promising opportunity to establish a foothold in the United Kingdom's market and collaborate with Harland & Wolff, an established manufacturing, services, and support company operating within the maritime defence industry.

"Harland & Wolff is an ideal partner for Austal in the pursuit of defence opportunities in the United Kingdom with the facilities, expertise and capabilities to effectively pursue and help deliver new vessels for organisations such as the UK Border Force. We look forward to collaborating with Harland Wolff on new opportunities that leverage Austal's proven leadership in aluminium patrol boat design and construction," Gregg specified.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Harland & Wolff, John Wood, commented: "I am delighted to have signed this MoU with Austal, a global leader in the aluminium vessel market. As we embark on the next phase of the Company's growth and development, we will be partnering with Austal not only for the transfer of technology to build aluminium vessels but to also join hands with them when bidding for contracts."

"Austal's skills and decades of experience in the aluminium build space and border security vessels are second to none. I look forward to working closely with them to build the next-generation shipyard capability for aluminium vessels in the UK," Wood concluded.

The partnership between Austal and Harland & Wolff will not only transfer technology to build aluminium vessels, but they will also work together when bidding for contracts. They are looking forward to building the next-generation shipyard capability for aluminium vessels in the UK.