Industry-Academia-Research-Government Agreement Marks Full-Scale Advancement of the Shipbuilding Industry
On the 26th, Mokpo City held a business agreement ceremony with shipbuilding industry experts. Photo by Mokpo City
Mokpo City in South Jeolla Province has officially launched efforts to develop an ecosystem for the eco-friendly small and medium-sized shipbuilding industry centered around the Namhang Port.
On February 26, Mokpo City announced that it held the "Namhang Eco-Friendly Small and Medium-Sized Ship Cluster Forum and Business Agreement Ceremony" at Mokpo Ocean Hotel, with more than 50 representatives from shipbuilding-related companies and experts in attendance.
The event was jointly organized with Mokpo National University and the Jeonnam Daebul Industry-Academic Convergence Institute. It was arranged to discuss regional development strategies aligned with the era of energy transition and to explore ways to advance the eco-friendly shipbuilding industry.
The event was attended by Acting Mayor Cho Seokhoon of Mokpo City, Song Hacheol, President of Mokpo National University, Kang Heejin, Director of the Ship and Offshore Plant Research Institute, Lee Kyunghoon, Director of the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority Research Institute, Cho Dooyeon, Head of the Jeonnam Daebul Industry-Academic Convergence Institute, Yoo Insook, CEO of Yuil Co., Ltd., Choi Jonggeun, CEO of Korea Made Co., Ltd., and Lee Chilhwan, CEO of Vincen Co., Ltd., among others.
The forum featured presentations on topics such as: ▲Research and development and commercialization strategies for eco-friendly ships; and ▲Strategies for building an eco-friendly ship cluster in Namhang, Mokpo. Through a panel discussion with industry, academia, research, and government experts, participants shared perspectives on the future direction and key tasks for the local shipbuilding industry.
In addition, Mokpo City, Mokpo National University, the Ship and Offshore Plant Research Institute, the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority, the Jeonnam Daebul Industry-Academic Convergence Institute, Yuil Co., Ltd., Korea Made Co., Ltd., and Vincen Co., Ltd. signed a business agreement to establish an eco-friendly small and medium-sized ship cluster.
Under the agreement, the parties will jointly pursue: ▲R&D for eco-friendly ships and equipment; ▲Shared use of infrastructure for performance testing, evaluation, and demonstration; ▲Professional workforce development; ▲Corporate attraction and support for employment and entrepreneurship; and ▲Identification of government and local policy projects and national initiatives.
Namhang in Mokpo is preparing to fully operate its research support infrastructure, which was established through government-funded projects, and plans to expand into advanced safety technologies as well as AI and autonomous ships.
Acting Mayor Cho Seokhoon stated, "The shipbuilding industry, a cornerstone of the southwestern economy of South Jeolla Province, is facing a pivotal opportunity for transformation. We will build an eco-friendly shipbuilding industry ecosystem centered around Namhang and foster it as a new driver for regional growth."
Meanwhile, as part of the "Mokpo Big Picture Project," Mokpo is operating a next-generation shipbuilding task force and accelerating the establishment of a future-oriented shipbuilding industry cluster strategy centered on Namhang.
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