Hobart engineering firm Incat says it may be able to take on as many as 100 new workers, after securing a deal to build a large Danish ferry.

Incat announced the contract this week, saying the 112-metre fast ferry would be the fourth it has produced for the Danish firm Mols-Linien, which runs services between continental Denmark and the popular island of Sjaelland.

The Tasmanian boat-builders are expected to construct and deliver the ferry by early 2017.

Incat managing director Simon Carter has told reporters that the company would need more people – an exciting boost for the industrial manufacturing sector marred by shutdowns and workforce contractions.

“It’s very exciting for us, because it paves the way for ongoing work for our employees for the next couple of years,” he said.

“It's difficult to pinpoint an exact number, but it's certainly going to be a significant expansion in the workforce over the next couple of years.

“It'll be more than a hundred.

“We have been working on the project for some time, and although the design team still have some finer details to complete, construction will commence immediately,” he said.

Incat has been churning out some serious ships in recent times, including two high-speed passenger ferries for London's River Thames.

The company also has a $50 million contract to build six ferries for Sydney Harbour, as well as four new Manly ferries.