Scotland’s tradition of shipbuilding has iconic status and can still deliver a new age of success, argues Dr Marie Macklin

The HERALD | Thursday 25th September 2025.

Scotland’s industrial history is many layered. As a nation we were in the vanguard of the industrial revolution, charting a path which others followed while reaping the benefits, and downsides, of industrialization and the rapid deindustrialization which has followed in more recent times.

Coal mining, textile manufacturing and steel making all form part of that story – a rich tapestry of toil and achievement, the legacies of which, for good and ill, are all around us. But if there is one industry above all others which still has iconic status in Scotland, it is surely our tradition of shipbuilding.

The days when the shipyards of the Clyde built many of the merchant and passenger vessels sailing the world’s oceans are long gone, but there remains a core of expertise here which may yet deliver a new age of success.

Recent announcements that Scottish shipyards are to be at the very forefront of a new raft of international defence procurement is proof of that enduring excellence.

And it also presents a chance to revitalize the sector for the long term in a way that can underpin a new age of reindustrialization which is so badly needed.  However, it is a moment which needs to be seized before the window of opportunity closes. The news that the Norwegian Government has decided to choose Scottish shipbuilders to construct a new generation of warships is testament to the critical mass of skill and ingenuity which remains on the Clyde.

It will see at least five Type 26 frigates constructed for the Norwegian navy, securing thousands of Scottish jobs in the process. At a cost of £10 billion, the deal is reported to be both the biggest ever warship export deal for the UK, and also the largest ever exercise in overseas military procurement by Norway.

Just days after that announcement came the news that the Babcock yard at Rosyth is expected to win a £1 billion contract to build four vessels for the Danish navy.

The remaining shipyards of the Clyde and the Forth, whilst a fraction of the size of the industry which once dominated their shorelines, will now be secure in their work stretching towards the middle of this century at least.

But while the new contracts announced are in the naval sector, that should act as an incentive for how the commercial shipping sector can also build its way back to at least something of its former greatness. The opportunity should be grasped to turn this moment of success into a generational win, securing the sector for decades to come.

And while it might not be realistic to expect the Clyde and Forth to be turned back into the hotbed of heavy industry of generations past, that does not mean we should close our eyes to the type of new opportunities at hand.

And it also presents a chance to revitalize the sector for the long term in a way that can underpin a new age of reindustrialization which is so badly needed.  However, it is a moment which needs to be seized before the window of opportunity closes.

The news that the Norwegian Government has decided to choose Scottish shipbuilders to construct a new generation of warships is testament to the critical mass of skill and ingenuity which remains on the Clyde.

It will see at least five Type 26 frigates constructed for the Norwegian navy, securing thousands of Scottish jobs in the process. At a cost of £10 billion, the deal is reported to be both the biggest ever warship export deal for the UK, and also the largest ever exercise in overseas military procurement by Norway.

Just days after that announcement came the news that the Babcock yard at Rosyth is expected to win a £1 billion contract to build four vessels for the Danish navy.

The remaining shipyards of the Clyde and the Forth, whilst a fraction of the size of the industry which once dominated their shorelines, will now be secure in their work stretching towards the middle of this century at least.

But while the new contracts announced are in the naval sector, that should act as an incentive for how the commercial shipping sector can also build its way back to at least something of its former greatness. The opportunity should be grasped to turn this moment of success into a generational win, securing the sector for decades to come.

And while it might not be realistic to expect the Clyde and Forth to be turned back into the hotbed of heavy industry of generations past, that does not mean we should close our eyes to the type of new opportunities at hand.

That includes the use of shipbuilding skills to provide facilities which can be deployed in the green economy, such as the manufacture of modern sail technologies, which have the potential to massively decarbonize merchant shipping around the globe.

If we do not seize this moment, then there are many others who will be happy to fill that space, whether it is in the form of new arrivals on the shipbuilding scene, or others who like us have a great maritime heritage they are trying to reinvigorate.

That latter category includes the United States, which is poised to ramp up its seagoing manufacturing as part of concerted governmental action to restore America’s maritime dominance in the face of competition from China and elsewhere.

The sector here deserves the same kind of government support, whether that comes from Holyrood or Westminster.  That should involve concrete action to restore our own commercial maritime manufacturing capabilities, expanding and strengthening the recruitment, training, and retention of the relevant workforce. A new Maritime Act that puts our communities first would be a welcome step.

Any such legislation should aim to build on the principle of social value, so that extra weight is given to the societal and community benefits likely to be delivered when it comes to scoring bids for the awarding of contracts.

It is an approach endorsed by Graeme Thomson, the new chief executive at the Ferguson’s shipyard in Port Glasgow.

Ferguson’s has been at the centre of much controversy in recent years, but we need to move beyond that so that the commercial and naval shipbuilding sectors become strong enough to complement each other, in a mutually reinforcing virtuous circle.

There is another dimension when it comes to the question of shipbuilding because, like so many other issues in Scotland’s public discourse, it is bound up with constitutional politics.  Too often the sector – and the construction of naval vessels in particular – has been used as a pawn in the debate about our country’s future.

We should take politics out of it. That means accepting that, however the nation is governed and whatever the future holds, the skill of our workers means they will always be able to secure orders based on their craft and expertise.  The award of the recent naval contracts is solid proof of that.

Instead of using the shipbuilding sector as a political football, we should, to borrow a phrase from the beautiful game, resort to good old-fashioned “route one” tactics, by being direct and decisive to deliver a win for the home team.

This week marks World Maritime Day. It’s an occasion to remember our nation’s proud seagoing history – but also one to look ahead with hope and optimism to what can still be a bright future.

Dr Marie Macklin CBE is a leading Scottish businesswoman and investor.