Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Center Launches in Washington

With the KoreaU.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation Center opening in Washington, D.C., in the United States, shipbuilding cooperation projects between the two countries have begun in earnest. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 23rd that it held an opening ceremony together with the U.S. Department of Commerce and established a local cooperation foundation for rebuilding the shipbuilding industry. This cooperation center will operate as a hub supporting improved productivity at U.S. shipyards, workforce training, research and development and technology exchange, and investment cooperation between companies. The Korean government plans to support domestic shipbuilding companies’ investment in the United States and shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries through links with the KoreaU.S. Strategic Investment Corporation and policy financial institutions. At the event, a total of 15 memorandums of understanding were also signed in four areas, including supply chain cooperation, workforce training, and joint technology development. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained that it plans to carry out eight tasks, including ship design optimization, autonomous welding, painting automation, and autonomous navigation, by promoting a joint research and development project worth 120 billion won over five years.