Ministry of SMEs and Startups Partners with Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam to Lay Foundation for Future Growth of Shipbuilding SMEs

“Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Future Marine Mobility Win-Win Innovation Forum” Held

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it held the "Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Future Marine Mobility Win-Win Innovation Forum" at Hanwha Ocean in Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do on the 13th.

This forum was organized in line with the Ministry’s roadmap for restructuring regional key industries, aiming to support regional SMEs in responding to stricter eco-friendly regulations and digital transformation in the shipbuilding sector, and to strengthen their competitiveness. Attendees included Noh Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, as well as representatives and experts from Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, SMEs related to shipbuilding and marine industries, directors from the local governments of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, and officials from Technopark.

After touring Hanwha Ocean's shipbuilding site, the participants discussed ways to cooperate in securing future competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry. In the first presentation, Professor Yoon Hyunkyoo from Changwon National University delivered a talk on "Fostering the Ship Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Industry through Large and Small-Medium Enterprise Collaboration for Building a Full-Cycle Industrial Ecosystem in Shipbuilding."

Hanwha Ocean then introduced key cases of win-win cooperation, such as innovation in production among partners, responses to environmental, social, and transparent management, and technological cooperation. In particular, the company shared its direction for expanding collaborative models that go beyond simple subcontracting to jointly pursue technology development, on-site demonstrations, and production innovation.

Gyeongnam Technopark presented a plan to establish a support system for win-win cooperation between large enterprises and SMEs in the southeastern region to maintain the world's leading shipbuilding and marine industry. Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam proposed building a collaborative platform that leverages each region's strengths, from identifying technology needs to technology development and commercialization.

During the discussion, participants deliberated on cooperation measures to strengthen competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry, including responding to the transition to eco-friendly and smart shipbuilding, stabilizing supply chains, localizing key equipment, and maintaining skilled labor. They also exchanged views on linking support programs such as smart factories, joint R&D, commercialization, and global market entry with regional cooperation projects.

Noh Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "The future competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry depends on a cooperative ecosystem created jointly by large corporations and small- and medium-sized enterprises," adding, "The Ministry will actively support the enhancement of competitiveness in the regional shipbuilding industry by linking smart factories, R&D, commercialization, and global expansion support to regional cooperation projects."