Canada, Finland, and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding to begin the joint development and production of polar icebreakers.
The signing formalizes the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact, a trilateral partnership established by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 75th NATO Summit in July this year.
Aiming to uphold international rules and maintain security in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, the initiative covers the collaborative effort to develop polar capabilities through the exchange of knowledge, resources, and expertise.
The ICE pact outlined that “over the next six months, we also will jointly develop an implementation plan for this collaboration to build these highly complex and critical vessels for our allies and partners with interests and responsibilities in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.”
Furthermore, the collaboration strengthens shipbuilding and related industries in each country, as it includes plans to build new and faster Arctic shipping lanes that “hold the potential to create new economic opportunities and drive down shipping costs” while increasing scientific research and international collaboration in the Antarctic.