http://www.irishnews.com/picturesarchive/irishnews/irishnews/2020/05/26/174419521-f8ed1d35-4f94-483c-92f8-4e54f6ec170a.jpg — Harland & Wolff has joined forces with a Spanish shipyard in a new partnership is believes can disrupt the UK defence shipbuilding duopoly that currently exists

Harland & Wolff joins forces with Navantia to form new defence challenger

27 May 2020, 01:00 by Gary McDonald Business Editor

http://www.irishnews.com/picturesarchive/irishnews/irishnews/2020/05/26/212229662-da79360c-dd5a-41e4-9d13-ec035fdb1c33.jpg — John Wood, chief executive of InfraStrata.

HARLAND & Wolff has joined forces with Spanish shipyard and trusted NATO partner Navantia to form a unique shipbuilding collaboration which will bid for a range of contracts, including UK Ministry of Defence work.

Called 'Team Resolute', it combines 160 years of shipbuilding experience at one of the UK’s biggest shipyards, including the two largest dry docks in Europe.

And John Wood, chief executive of InfraStrata, which paid more than £5 million last year to rescue H&W from administration, said the partnership has the capability and credibility to disrupt the UK defence shipbuilding duopoly that currently exists.

"This can provide much needed competition in the defence sector to ensure value for money and guaranteed delivery," he said.

As part of the H&W and Navantia teaming agreement, international design, engineering and risk management consultancy BMT will come on board as an exclusive subcontractor in MoD Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme.

As set out in the UK's National Shipbuilding Strategy, the government is seeking to strengthen its sovereign shipbuilding capability and prosperity, while driving cost and production efficiencies.

http://www.irishnews.com/picturesarchive/irishnews/irishnews/2020/05/26/174431271-437344ce-6002-4cd3-ba03-3b02f454a8ae.jpg — Harland & Wolff has joined forces with a Spanish shipyard in a new partnership is believes can disrupt the UK defence shipbuilding duopoly that currently exists

Team Resolute is seen as offering a low risk and value-for-money solution for FSS based on recent and current experience designing and building comparable ships for other navies.

And if successful in the bid, Team Resolute will inject significant investment into local economies across the whole of the UK through ship design and construction, including Belfast.

The new consortium has already identified future naval, commercial and offshore renewable contracts, and there is a real opportunity for UK suppliers to secure future work on other Navantia and H&W programmes.

Mr Wood added: “This partnership has the capability and credibility to disrupt the UK defence shipbuilding duopoly that currently exists, providing much needed competition in the defence sector to ensure value for money and guaranteed delivery.

“Team Resolute will create a more level playing field when competing for upcoming defence contracts. It will also provide Harland & Wolff with a strong proposition to tender for contracts in in the oil & gas, cruise and ferry, commercial and renewable sectors.”