Busan City Seeks Solutions to Marine Mobility Market Regulations Through Global Cooperation

1:00 PM, July 31, University of Warwick in Coventry, UK, Korea-Europe Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Experts Association... Signed MOU for International Joint R&D Cooperation on Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone

Busan companies and European researchers establish a cooperative system to jointly promote international R&D on shipbuilding and marine engineering technologies for the Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone

Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Technopark signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for "International Joint R&D Cooperation for the Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone" with the Europe-Korea Marine and Ocean Engineers Association (EKMOA) at the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK, at 1:00 PM (local time) on July 31.

Signing of the "Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone International Joint Research and Development Cooperation Agreement."

This MOU was established in connection with the "Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC) 2024," held in Birmingham and Coventry, UK, from July 30 to August 2. The city, Busan Technopark, and participating companies of the Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone project attended the conference.

The Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC) is the largest Korean-European scientific and technological society in the UK, co-hosted by the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in the UK (KSEAUK) and eight major Korean scientists and engineers associations in Europe, including Germany (VeKNI), France (ASCOF), Austria (KOSEAA), Finland (KOSESA), Scandinavia (KSEA), the Netherlands (KOSEANL), Switzerland (KSASE), and Belgium (KOSEAB).

Among them, the Europe-Korea Marine and Ocean Engineers Association (EKMOA) is a coalition of Korean experts in the shipbuilding and marine field residing in Europe, currently registered as a non-profit organization in England and Wales.

With the signing of this agreement, the three organizations will establish a cooperative system to jointly promote international R&D in shipbuilding and marine technology applicable to the Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone, with the common goal of responding to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) greenhouse gas emission regulations, enabling participating Busan companies to collaborate with European researchers.

Specifically, they will promote joint R&D projects such as integrated greenhouse gas management solutions for ships and ammonia bunkering tank lorry safety management systems, establish a cooperative system for project implementation and management, manage intellectual property rights, and jointly promote project outcomes.

Furthermore, taking this agreement as an opportunity, the city held a roundtable meeting with European shipbuilding and marine experts participating in "Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology 2024" to discuss successful implementation and cooperation for international joint R&D in shipbuilding and marine technology for the Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone.

The roundtable was attended by representatives from the city, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), Busan Technopark (TP), Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, participating companies of the Global Innovation Zone, and about 50 European shipbuilding and marine experts, including those from Strathclyde University, who participated in the EKC, engaging in enthusiastic discussions.

In particular, there were concrete discussions on ways to resolve domestic market regulations related to eco-friendly ships for domestic small and medium-sized shipbuilding and marine companies, and to verify and commercialize international joint R&D through cooperation with Europe.

Company M, participating in the international joint R&D, stated that through participation in the EKC, it discussed with the shipbuilding and marine engineering research team at Strathclyde University in the UK and found a concrete direction for the international joint R&D, expressing high expectations for R&D promotion through meetings with local European researchers.

The "Global Innovation Zone" is a Korean-style innovation cluster project where systems that meet international standards (global standards) for regulations, verification, certification, permits, insurance, etc. are applied for the development of advanced products and overseas expansion.

In December last year, innovation zones were designated in Busan (Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone), Gangwon, Chungbuk, and Jeonnam.

With the designation of the Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone, the city plans to promote various projects to foster the ship equipment and management industry centered on future-oriented ships such as eco-friendly and digital autonomous ships.

The city will discover promising local shipbuilding and marine companies as participants in the special zone project and, by 2028, jointly promote international joint R&D in shipbuilding and marine technology that meets international standards (global standards), domestic and overseas land and sea demonstrations, overseas certification support, etc. The city also plans to establish a one-stop platform support system to help local companies enter the global market.

Park Dongseok, Director General of Advanced Industry at the city, stated, "With the designation of the Next-Generation Marine Mobility Global Innovation Zone, we plan to actively foster the next-generation marine mobility industry, which has been stagnant due to regulations. In particular, this cooperation with Europe will serve as a catalyst for the development of the next-generation marine mobility industry. The city will actively support international joint R&D and related demonstrations and certifications so that local companies participating in the special zone project can enter the global market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.