The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 13th that it held the "Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam future ocean mobility win-win innovation forum" at Hanwha Ocean in Geoje, South Gyeongsang.
The event was attended by First Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), as well as representatives of Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and small and mid-sized shipbuilding and marine companies, along with experts. They discussed strengthening eco-friendly regulations and digital transformation in the shipbuilding sector, and enhancing the competitiveness of local small and mid-sized companies in line with the MSS's direction for reorganizing regional flagship industries.
Professor Yun Hyun-gyu of Changwon National University gave a presentation on "fostering the ship maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry through large-small business linkage and cooperation to build a full-cycle shipbuilding industrial ecosystem." He argued that to respond to the expansion of eco-friendly ships and the reorganization of global supply chains, a cooperative ecosystem spanning design, equipment, production, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) should be established.
Hanwha Ocean then introduced cases of win-win cooperation, including production innovation by partner companies, responses to environmental, social and governance (ESG) management, and technology cooperation. It explained directions to expand a cooperation model that jointly advances key tasks such as technology development, on-site demonstrations, and production innovation beyond traditional subcontracting relationships.
Gyeongnam Technopark, which attended the forum, delivered a presentation on "measures to build a support system for win-win cooperation between large and small businesses in the southeast region to maintain the world's No. 1 competitiveness in the shipbuilding and marine industry." The presentation proposed creating a cooperation platform that connects regional industrial strengths—Busan's autonomous navigation-based smart transition, Ulsan's eco-friendly transition, and South Gyeongsang's automation-centered digital transition—leading from identifying technology demand to research and development and commercialization.
In the ensuing discussion, participants addressed cooperation measures to boost the shipbuilding industry's competitiveness, including responses to the eco-friendly and smart shipbuilding transition, supply chain stabilization, localization of key equipment, and securing and retaining skilled workers. There were also opinions that various support programs—such as smart factory construction, joint research and development (R&D), commercialization, and overseas expansion support—should be pursued in conjunction with regional cooperation projects.
First Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "The future competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry depends on a cooperative ecosystem built jointly by large companies and small and mid-sized companies," adding, "The MSS will also back efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of regional shipbuilding industries by linking regional cooperation projects with smart factories, research and development, commercialization, and overseas expansion support."