Increasing the Rate of Shipbuilding and Repair Proficiency

The MARITECH 2026 closing address by Martin Drews, Interim Vice President and General Manager of Victoria Shipyards Co. Ltd., will briefly reflect on the road traveled in the Canadian marine sector before setting the essential lead marks to meet the evolving strategic context for shipbuilding and repair in Canada. This will be accomplished by discussing the essential and critical activities identified in both the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and the more recent Defence Investment Strategy (DIS). With at sea and other leadership previous positions in the Royal Canadian Navy, coupled with his responsibilities and experiences at SEASPAN, Martin will discuss activities needed in building a future that not only steadily improves our marine community outcomes, but also increases the rate at which we can learn and evolve with the aim of increasing our rates of proficiency. Martin will discuss this goal through the lens of infrastructure, people, training and education, and enterprise-wide policies at all levels of government.