Report says Great Lakes-St. Lawrence positioned for shipbuilding expansion
In recent years, the shipbuilding industry in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region has shifted its focus from constructing new ships to providing repair and maintenance services due to global competition. However, a recent study commissioned by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers (GSGP) suggests that the region’s shipbuilding and maritime industry still possess strong industrial assets and manufacturing competencies that are underutilized but strategically significant.
The University of Michigan’s School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering conducted a foundational capacity study to explore the potential for a new regional shipbuilding initiative that could revitalize the industrial base of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region, creating new job opportunities.
Key Findings of the Report:
Substantial Shipyard Capacity: The region boasts 44 shipbuilding and repair sites, including 17 active shipyards, 6 inactive shipyards, and 21 clusters of undeveloped land suitable for new shipyards. This indicates the potential for rapid expansion in large-vessel capabilities.
Deep Regional Supply Chains: With over 12,000 shipbuilding suppliers in the region, spanning propulsion, electronics, structural materials, and other systems, the region has a robust network of firms supporting shipbuilding activities.
Overcoming Vessel Size Limitations: Despite limitations imposed by the St. Lawrence Seaway’s lock dimensions, the region can utilize a “distributed production” approach for vessels larger than the locks. This involves building hull sections or modules and transporting them via heavy-lift barges through the Seaway to coastal yards for final assembly.
Investment Pathways for Growth:
Pathway 1: Focuses on leveraging the region’s strengths in research universities, naval and defense innovation programs, and a commercial fleet that already tests and refines new systems in challenging conditions.
Pathway 2: Aims to build a marine-qualified, bi-national supply chain to support naval and commercial programs by connecting existing suppliers and lowering barriers for adjacent industries to enter the maritime sector.
Pathway 3: Builds on assets like small-craft yards, autonomy and unmanned testing activity, and early commercial wins to position the region as a viable production location for autonomy firms.
Pathway 4: Utilizes the region’s yards to fabricate large, high-complexity blocks and modules, showcasing distributed ship production that draws on the region’s strengths and uses the Lakes and Seaway as its transportation backbone.
Overall, the report emphasizes the need to align existing capabilities and infrastructure with shipbuilding programs to revitalize and expand the region’s industrial base. By leveraging the region’s strengths and assets, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region could potentially witness a resurgence in its shipbuilding industry, creating new economic opportunities and contributing to job growth. Great Lakes Shipbuilding Industry Poised for Growth
In a recent study, researchers have identified the potential for significant growth and development in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Shipbuilding (GLSLS) region. The study, which focuses on the concept of the Seaway-max heavy-lift barge, highlights the region’s capacity to become a key player in North American shipbuilding and maritime innovation.
The Seaway-max heavy-lift barge concept, developed in the vessel analysis, demonstrates that a purpose-sized carrier can efficiently move submarine and ship blocks within Seaway constraints. This ability allows GLSLS yards to serve as block-fabrication nodes, supporting both naval and commercial programs along the coast.
The report emphasizes the importance of turning technical feasibility into a repeatable distributed-production model. This involves standardized modular designs, barge logistics, and bi-national consortiums linking multiple sites to East Coast assembly yards.
One of the key pathways identified in the study, Pathway 5, focuses on fully utilizing and expanding GLSLS yards to accommodate Seaway-max and frigate-sized vessels. By doing so, the region can position itself to build, home-base, and sustain complete ship classes, rather than solely serving as a repair backdrop.
Vessel-fit analysis shows that a variety of vessels, including frigate-sized combatants, icebreakers, auxiliaries, and specialized commercial craft, can all operate within Seaway limits. The study confirms that a handful of large, expansion-ready yards and a strong industrial base can support both new construction and lifecycle work.
The researchers suggest that with targeted, coordinated investment, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region is ready to play a more central role in North American shipbuilding and maritime innovation. They point out that the region has underutilized assets and competencies, which can support defense, Coast Guard, Arctic, commercial, and decarbonization priorities.
Overall, the study concludes that the primary challenge facing the region is the underutilization of its existing industrial shipbuilding corridor. By leveraging its active shipyards, deep supplier base, skilled-trades workforce, and technology ecosystem, the GLSLS region can unlock its full potential and become a hub for shipbuilding excellence.
