The government will support giving priority to loading domestically made shipbuilding equipment on ships newly built by domestic shipping companies. Separately, it will also launch a new "shipbuilding-shipping co-prosperity council" to discuss job-creation measures such as joint orders by national-flag carriers and priority orders for public vessels.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources held a ceremony for the 23rd Shipbuilding and Offshore Day at EL Tower in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, on the 10th and announced this co-prosperity policy direction. About 250 people attended, including Vice Minister Moon Sinhak and Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association President Lee Sang-gyun. Vice Minister Moon said, "Building a ship cannot be done by a shipyard alone," stressing that steel, equipment, shipping, and finance must work together to protect K-shipbuilding's competitiveness.
The government will take part in crafting measures so shipbuilding and steel can prosper together. It will directly promote support for loading domestically made equipment to secure the "installed-on-actual-ship record" needed for equipment exports. Job creation measures such as joint orders by national-flag carriers and priority orders for public vessels will be discussed at the "shipbuilding-shipping co-prosperity council," co-led by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) Minister and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Minister.
Co-prosperity among major firms, small and midsize shipyards, and partner companies will also be strengthened. The M.AX (manufacturing AI transformation) alliance, which had focused on autonomous navigation, will be expanded to shipyard manufacturing sites and reorganized as the "AI shipbuilding alliance," and proven technologies from major firms will be spread to partners and small and midsize shipyards. Activation of refund guarantee (RG) issuance for small and midsize shipbuilders' advance payments will also be promoted with relevant ministries and financial institutions.
Co-prosperity in overseas markets will continue. Under the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation (MASGA) program, the government will focus on discovering projects in which equipment makers and small and midsize shipbuilders can participate, and it will pursue strengthening small and midsize shipbuilders' MRO (maintenance and repair) capabilities and supporting equipment makers' entry into the United States. Through the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation Center, which opened at the end of July, it will also back efforts to develop sales channels in the U.S. market, and in the fourth quarter it plans to hold the first "Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation partnership event."