KS Industry Finalizes Move into Ulsan Shipbuilding & Marine High-Tech Town... Establishes AI-Based MRO Business Hub

KS Industry (CEO Song Byungkwon) announced on April 22 that its Marine Robotics Research Institute has finalized its move into the Ulsan Information Industry Promotion Agency (UIPA) Shipbuilding & Marine High-Tech Town and will begin full-scale operations starting May 1. This move is particularly significant as it secures a key base for expanding AI-based maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) business in the shipbuilding and marine sector.

The company passed the tenant screening by the Ulsan Information Industry Promotion Agency and received final approval on April 21, after which it signed the lease agreement. The High-Tech Town is a facility that Ulsan City is fostering as a hub for AI ship technology development for the next-generation shipbuilding industry. It is also attracting attention as a core base for the Ministry of Science and ICT’s “AI Ship Specialized Platform” demonstration project, which has a total budget of 40.1 billion won.

KS Industry plans to further strengthen its research and development infrastructure through this move. In particular, the company aims to integrate sLLM and physical AI with its 30 years of accumulated marine crane design and manufacturing expertise, accelerating its smart MRO business and next-generation marine crane development. Based on its major clients—HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hanwha Ocean—the company intends to speed up the development of AI MRO agent solutions and smart equipment.

The global naval MRO market is projected to grow from approximately 93 trillion won (63.2 billion dollars) in 2026 to about 108 trillion won (73.6 billion dollars) in 2031. Amid this trend, Ulsan City was selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s “Global Competitiveness Enhancement Support Project for Small and Medium-Sized Shipyards’ Naval MRO,” and plans to invest a total of 49.5 billion won by 2030 to support local shipyards and equipment companies in entering the market.

KS Industry is seeking to participate in the Ulsan Naval MRO Cluster in line with these policy directions. Centered around the Marine Robotics Research Institute, the company plans to develop and commercialize AI MRO agents specialized for high-noise and shadowed environments, unmanned maritime systems, and an ontology-based maintenance platform for marine plants. Through these initiatives, KS Industry aims to transition from a traditional equipment supplier to a marine robotics solutions provider, while also enhancing shareholder value.

A company representative stated, “This move marks an important milestone in evolving from a traditional marine crane manufacturer to a physical AI-based marine robotics company. By linking with Ulsan City’s MRO cluster and AI policies, we will maximize our corporate value through improved performance with existing clients as well as entry into new markets.”

Meanwhile, KS Industry is a shipbuilding and marine equipment specialist, producing ship cranes, offshore plant cranes, and deck machinery, and counts global shipbuilders such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries among its major clients. Recently, the company acquired KOSPI-listed InskoBee to secure stable revenue from telecommunications operations, while also accelerating the expansion of new businesses in marine robotics, defense industry, smart logistics, and port automation.

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