Samsung Heavy Industries Launches Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation... MRO Partnership with Vigor Marine

Expanding from Naval Support Vessel Maintenance to Commercial Shipbuilding
Strengthening Korea-U.S. Cooperation Based on Korean Shipbuilding Technology
Choi Sungan: "We Will Provide World-Class Services"

Samsung Heavy Industries has joined forces with a leading U.S. shipbuilder, marking a full-scale entry into the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation stage. Starting with maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of naval support vessels, the company is expanding its scope to the construction of commercial and special-purpose ships. In the context of MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again), the presence of the Korean shipbuilding industry is becoming even more prominent.

On August 25 (local time), Samsung Heavy Industries announced on the 26th that it had formed a strategic partnership with Vigor Marine Group in Washington, D.C., USA. This agreement includes a joint effort in the maintenance and repair (MRO) business for support vessels of the U.S. Navy and the Military Sealift Command. The signing ceremony was attended by Minister Kim Jeonggwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Secretary Howard Lutnick of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Choi Sungan, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries, and Francesco Valente, CEO of Vigor Marine Group.

Choi Seongan, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries (6th from the left), and Francesco Valente, CEO of Vigor Marine Group (7th from the left), along with other company officials, are taking a commemorative photo of the MOU signing. Samsung Heavy Industries

Vigor Marine is a shipbuilder that operates Navy-certified docks and repair yards in four states: Oregon, Washington, California, and Virginia. Through this collaboration, the two companies plan to combine Samsung Heavy Industries' advanced technology and operational expertise to meet the maintenance and modernization needs of U.S. Navy vessels.

If tangible results are achieved, Samsung Heavy Industries intends to expand the scope of cooperation to the joint construction of commercial and special-purpose ships, and will also consider establishing a shipbuilding equipment cluster and workforce training programs within the United States. Vice Chairman Choi Sungan stated, "We will provide world-class MRO services," adding, "We will do our utmost to lay the foundation for building U.S. commercial ships and support vessels in the future."

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