Autonomous surface vehicle maker Saronic Technologies announced that it selected Brownsville, Texas, as the site for Port Alpha, a next-generation shipyard that will manufacture medium and large-class autonomous and autonomy-capable vessels. The development follows a year-long nationwide search that spanned the East, West and Gulf Coasts.
Saronic expects the $3.2 billion project to create up to 10,000 jobs, combining advanced manufacturing, software-defined production and autonomy. The Austin-based company plans to begin construction this year, with operations scheduled to begin in 2028.
“This investment is about rebuilding the industrial capacity, workforce and manufacturing advantage required to ensure American maritime leadership for decades to come,” Saronic Co-Founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas said.
Initially situated on 835 acres at the Port of Brownsville, with the opportunity to expand to nearly 4,400 acres, Port Alpha will encompass a shipyard and manufacturing facility capable of producing vessels up to 850 feet. The compnay added that a future site expansion could support the production of vessels over 1,200 feet.
The project will receive a Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant of $80 million and a $78,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus. The shipyard is also a qualified project under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation (JETI) program.
Saronic said it will collaborate with manufacturers, emerging shipbuilding technology providers and suppliers to support Port Alpha, while continuing to work with federal, state and local partners as construction advances. The company also intends to partner with the State of Texas, Cameron County and local educational institutions, including regional technical colleges and state universities, to develop workforce training and apprenticeship programs.
Port Alpha builds on Saronic’s expanding shipbuilding footprint. In early 2025, the company acquired a shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, where it invested $300 million to add 300,000 square feet of production capacity. That facility will continue to produce the 180-foot Marauder autonomous vessel.
