National Shipbuilding Office
The National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) drives transformative change to empower a globally successful, innovative and sustainable shipbuilding enterprise that works for all parts of the UK. The NSO oversees all of the Government's interests in UK shipbuilding, supports growth in the sector, and works with industry to improve productivity and competitiveness.
Refresh to the National Shipbuilding Strategy
Who we are
The creation of the NSO was announced by the Secretary of State for Defence in September 2021.
Officials are drawn from the public and private sectors and work across the whole enterprise, covering Government, academia, trade associations, public institutions and Industry from shipyards to Small and Medium Enterprises throughout the supply chain.
Our priorities
The goals of the NSO feed into and draw from the Government’s top priorities, including Levelling Up, Strengthening the Union, and meeting Net Zero obligations.
The NSO:
- aims to drive transformative change in the shipbuilding enterprise, creating a strategic focus in government for delivering national ambition
- oversees all of government’s interests in shipbuilding, optimising government’s approach to growing the industry and realising the benefits of coordinated procurement, investment and engagement across the enterprise
- owns the National Shipbuilding Strategy and is empowered to align Departmental activity and investments with its ambition and approach
Who we work with
The NSO’s mission encompasses the entire shipbuilding sector. It is hosted by the MOD with outward focus on other Government departments including the Treasury, Home Office, Cabinet Office, BEIS, DEFRA, FCDO and the Departments for Transport, International Trade and Education, as well as the Devolved Administrations.
Industry stakeholders include the UK’s shipbuilders and companies across the extensive national supply chain as well as the wider sector associations and academia.
Our locations
The National Shipbuilding Office has a base in London and practises hybrid working to enable the team to operate nationwide.
Shipbuilding Enterprise for Growth
The Shipbuilding Enterprise for Growth (SEG) is a key element of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. With Government activity being driven forward by the NSO, the SEG is an industry-led forum which can demonstrate the same strategic leadership and ensure coherent, aligned activity. It is an empowered interlocutor which can make decisions and drive action to ensure industry is seizing opportunities to transform.
The SEG is co-chaired by the CEO of the NSO and a senior industry executive, with membership from across the shipbuilding sector, supply chain and Government. It is an integrated and collaborative community and will support Government and industry joint working to implement the National Shipbuilding Strategy and determine what further action is required to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high-value skilled jobs across the enterprise.
Skills Delivery Group
Following the report of the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce, ‘A Step Change in UK Shipbuilding Skills’, the Skills Delivery Group is being established to oversee and drive delivery of the recommendations of the Taskforce, and to be a continuous advocate for skills in the sector.
With a focus on delivery, it will engage with employers, governments across the Union, and educators to:
- leverage the skills system across the UK to meet the needs of industry
- help industry attract, retain and develop talent
- explore opportunities to promote equality, diversity and inclusion
- prepare for future skills needs in light of forthcoming innovation and the transition to net zero
- address the specific skills needs of small and medium sized companies
Centres of Excellence (CoE)
The Centres of Excellence (CoE) Task and Finish Group has launched a Centres of Excellence Playbook, developed in collaboration with Connected Places Catapult.
A digital copy of the CoE Playbook can be found here.
The CoE Playbook launch presentation can be found here:
The Centres of Excellence Task and Finish Group comprised of a breadth of industry representatives across the Shipbuilding Enterprise: led by industry, for industry. This cross-cutting work gives the UK Enterprise a greater understanding of the value and potential that Centres of Excellence can offer.
The CoE Task and Finish Group vision is to cultivate a strong community of practice between CoE, industry and government to maximise opportunities across the UK Shipbuilding Enterprise. The aim is to encourage knowledge sharing and promote collaborative behaviours and connections.
The key focus objectives of the CoE Task and Finish Group were to:
- Create a CoE Playbook: provide best practice guidance to industry, Centres of Excellence and government on CoE engagement for those seeking to deepen their involvement with the Shipbuilding Enterprise.
- Conduct a CoE Gap Analysis: identify where the UK industry and CoE initiatives already support the Shipbuilding Enterprise in particular strengths, and identify where gaps exist in provision by CoE initiatives.
- Make CoE recommendations: develop options to enhance collaboration across the Shipbuilding Enterprise and make recommendations to identify new concepts and proposals for CoEs.
The CoE Final Recommendation Report can be found at the links below:
- Set up and curate a CoE Digital Directory: provide industry with a mechanism to increase visibility of the CoE capabilities that exist and can support the development and signposting of collaboration opportunities across the UK Shipbuilding Enterprise. (The CoE Digital Directory is currently in development).
For further information, a summary overview presentation of the CoE Task and Finish Group aims and activities can be found here: .
For a PowerPoint version of the Launch Pack or overview presentation, please email: nso-communications@mod.gov.uk.
Any other enquiries relating to the CoE Task and Finish Group should be emailed to: nso-communications@mod.gov.uk.
NSO Corporate Plan
The NSO Corporate Plan sets out the Vision, Mission Statement, Values and governance structure of the NSO. It also sets out our have six overarching objectives for the period 2022-25 which are as follows:
- Objective 1 – Demand Signal and Policy: Ensure that the UK shipbuilding sector is provided with a clear cross-Government shipbuilding demand signal and that Government shipbuilding programmes support the policy objectives of the NSbS Refresh.
- Objective 2 – Shipbuilding Productivity and Skills: Work with industry and across Government to improve the productivity and competitiveness of the UK shipbuilding sector, including meeting the sector’s skills needs.
- Objective 3 – Research and Development (R&D) and Technology: Support investment in R&D and technology, particularly clean maritime technology, autonomy and advanced manufacturing technology.
- Objective 4 – Export and Finance: Improve access to competitive finance packages and ensure coherent export support for the UK shipbuilding sector.
- Objective 5 – Establishing our Organisation: Creating an empowered and diverse workforce of high-performing individuals.
- Objective 6 – Delivering Value for Money: Providing value for money by delivering excellence, making best use of resources, ensuring appropriate internal governance and demonstrating the principals of “Managing Public Money”.
Further reading
Refresh to the National Shipbuilding Strategy
Defence Secretary announces launch of National Shipbuilding Office