Portsmouth Aviation, a UK-based defence contractor and advanced engineering company is establishing a new subsidiary in Prince Edward Island, Portsmouth Atlantic Ltd., says Allen Roach, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning.

“Portsmouth Atlantic will design, develop and manufacture defence technology for military forces globally from Prince Edward Island, with an aim to generate over 35 new jobs in the province over the next three years,” said Minister Roach.

“Portsmouth Atlantic is a dedicated centre of excellence for new innovation in environmental management systems for marine technology and specifically a world-leading maker of systems that protect warships from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards. This is a company with decades of experience, a solid reputation and a growing presence in world markets.”

“This company’s decision to come to Prince Edward Island is a major step forward for our high-end manufacturing and engineering industries and will advance the Island presence in the defence marketplace.”

“Portsmouth Aviation is very pleased to be expanding its global footprint here in P.E.I.,” said Simon Escott, Managing Director of the Portsmouth group of companies. “With the addition of Portsmouth Atlantic to our portfolio, we are truly on the rise worldwide as a company that focuses on advanced engineering solutions for the protection of military forces.”

“The establishment of this new capability in our group of companies is a significant step forward for innovation in environmental management technologies for military and commercial vessels all over the globe,” said Allen Dillon, Portsmouth Atlantic’s Chief Operating Officer in P.E.I., “and we are well underway in supporting new projects in two continents. We are also confident our solutions will be a strong value in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy and program.”

Innovation PEI is supporting this undertaking with $100,000 from the Discovery and Development Fund to assist Portsmouth Atlantic in advancing its modular design of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) filtration systems for use in a variety of commercial and defence applications globally.

Portsmouth Atlantic will also be eligible for rebates under the Innovation and Development Labour Rebate to offset part of the wages paid for jobs created.

BACKGROUNDER

About Portsmouth Atlantic

Portsmouth Atlantic is a subsidiary of Portsmouth Aviation, a private company based in the United Kingdom, with more than 80 years’ experience providing engineering and manufacturing to the defence sector and commercial industry. The company is a leading provider of advanced engineering solutions in environmental management, among other technologies, for marine vessels and critical infrastructure worldwide.

About CBRN technology

The CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) filtration systems designed and built by Portsmouth provide high-level filtration of air contaminants in order to protect occupants of a warship or other contained structures. The systems are available as installable modules or can be integrated into the design of a building, vehicle or vessel.

About Aerospace and Defence in Prince Edward Island

The Prince Edward Island Aerospace industry started in 1991 as a response to the closure of CFB Summerside. From a modest start, the cluster has grown to 11 companies. Since 2007, sales in Prince Edward Island’s aerospace and defence sector have grown from $274 million to an estimated $400 in 2013. Employment in this sector has grown from 660 in 2007 to approximately 950 by end of 2013.