Kim Hee-chul, CEO of Hanwha Ocean, met with Jamieson Greer, representative of the United States Trade Representative, on the 16th during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers' Meeting held in Jeju to discuss cooperation in the shipbuilding industry between South Korea and the United States.
CEO Kim Hee-chul explained Hanwha Ocean's strategy for enhancing industrial competitiveness, focusing on expanding shipbuilding production capacity and the direction of technology transfer in the United States. The U.S. government's policy direction regarding the restructuring of the shipbuilding supply chain and corporate responses to it were also shared.
Hanwha Ocean plans to apply the smart production system from its Geoje site to U.S. shipyards. The goal is to establish a foundation for implementing high levels of shipbuilding technology and productivity locally. The establishment of additional production bases in the United States is also under review.
CEO Kim Hee-chul noted, "Hanwha Ocean aims to become a strategic partner in realizing the renaissance of the U.S. shipbuilding industry and will strive to achieve practical cooperation results locally based on verified technology and a smart production system."
Hanwha Ocean is achieving tangible results in its shipbuilding cooperation with the United States. In August of last year, it won the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) project for the U.S. Navy's support vessel, the 'Wally Schirra,' marking the first time a South Korean shipyard secured such a contract, and delivered the vessel after maintenance work in March.
Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems acquired a U.S. shipyard in Philadelphia in December of last year, the first Korean companies to do so. Additionally, Hanwha holds a 19.9% equity stake in the Australian shipbuilding company Austal, which has shipbuilding facilities in Mobile, Alabama, and San Diego, California.