Are UK shipyards prepared to invest for the future?

UK shipbuilding urged to prove its competitiveness with inward investment.

Shipyards in the UK should look to invest in their own facilities in order to give themselves the best opportunity to secure government contracts, as well as increasing their competitivity on the international space, according to Shipbuilding Tsar and UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace.

For decades, UK shipyards had faced a gradual decline in workshare, as a numerically shrinking Royal Navy and increased competition from European and other global facilities brought challenges that pushed many businesses to the brink. The National Shipbuilding Strategy, written by Sir John Parker and first published in 2016 and subsequently updated, offers potential solutions to revitalise the UK’s shipbuilding sector.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, appointed Shipbuilding Tsar in 2019, told the UK Defence Committee during a 5 July session that UK shipyards, both those focused towards military or commercial alike, had to invest in their own facilities in order to increase capacity, efficiencies and competitiveness.

“Some yards are ready for the future, and some aren’t,” said Wallace.

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