The Ferguson Marine shipyard was founded in 1903. Today the state-owned venture is one of only two surviving ship builders on the River Clyde. The shipyard is currently building a pair of dual-fuel ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne, although the project is very late, well over budget, and mired in political scandal.

The Clyde once boasted a world-renowned ship building industry dating back to the 15th century, however it declined after World War Two.