Harland & Wolff, the historic Belfast shipyard, is set to become one of the UK’s most advanced naval construction sites following a major investment from Navantia UK.
The company—now the owner of the shipyard—has launched a wide-reaching modernisation programme to support the building of Fleet Solid Support (FSS) vessels for the Royal Navy.
The transformation represents a significant expansion of the funding initially allocated under the Ministry of Defence’s FSS contract, and will see substantial upgrades in infrastructure and technological capability across the site.
“This investment marks a watershed moment for UK shipbuilding,” said Juan de la Cueva, CEO of Navantia UK. “By combining Harland & Wolff’s proud heritage with Navantia’s global expertise and cutting-edge technology, we are creating a world-class facility capable of delivering the next generation of naval vessels.”
Civil works at the site resumed in March after a temporary pause, with phase one focused on improving hull-building capacity. Enhancements include new lifting cranes, robotic plasma cutters, automated quality control systems, and a fully mechanised flat panel production line. Crucially, the iconic Samson and Goliath gantry cranes will continue to serve the upgraded yard.
The investment will benefit 600 existing jobs in Belfast and has the potential to create additional high-skilled roles in computer-aided design, digital systems integration, and advanced manufacturing. According to Navantia, the programme will support not only the FSS project but also position the yard to lead future domestic and international naval contracts.
“This modernisation programme represents our long-term commitment to UK sovereign capability, and to the revival of shipbuilding across the UK,” de la Cueva added.
Alongside its Belfast transformation, Navantia UK is upgrading its Appledore yard in Devon—responsible for building bow sections of the FSS vessels—with the purchase of a next-generation plasma cutter.
The company is also investing in infrastructure and training facilities at its Scottish sites in Arnish and Methil.
