'Decarbonization and the future of shipbuilding' draws global industry leaders

Poster for the 2026 Kormarine Conference [Busan city government]
Poster for the 2026 Kormarine Conference [Busan city government]

The 2026 Kormarine Conference opened Tuesday morning at the Wyndham Grand Busan.

Co-hosted by the Busan city government and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and organized by the Korea Marine Equipment Industry Cooperative, the conference drew more than 400 participants from eight countries under the theme "Navigating Uncertainty: Geopolitics, Decarbonization and the Future of Shipbuilding." Attendees examined key issues facing the shipbuilding and shipping industries and explored strategies for the future.

Yang Chang-ho, standing vice chairman of the Korea Shipowners' Association, delivered the keynote address on the direction of cooperation and development for Korea's shipping and shipbuilding industries amid geopolitical shifts. Session 1, moderated by Hwang Jin-hoe of the Korea Maritime Institute, focused on environmental regulation trends and the outlook for the shipping and shipbuilding sectors. Topics included strategic responses to the International Maritime Organization's mid-term measures and maritime decarbonization, European environmental regulations and how Korean shipping companies are adapting, innovative technology transition strategies for carbon neutrality in shipping and ports, and the use of small modular reactors in the maritime and shipping industries.

Session 2, chaired by Lee Jae-hoon of the Korea Marine Equipment Research Institute, took up new market trends in shipbuilding and marine equipment, with discussions on a 2060 hydrogen roadmap, an AI transition and learning-data platform for autonomous vessels, AI transformation in the shipbuilding industry, and advanced pump technology for stable LNG fuel supply. Session 3 addressed shipbuilding competitiveness, covering a comparative analysis of major countries' shipbuilding industries, a comparison of Korean and Japanese ship-financing structures and next-generation policy responses, and the current state of China's ship-financing development.

Busan city officials said they expect the conference to serve as an opportunity to share information on rapidly shifting global conditions in the shipbuilding and shipping industries — including technology and finance issues — while strengthening the competitiveness of Busan's maritime sector and raising the city's profile as a global maritime capital.

"The environment for the shipbuilding and maritime industry is changing rapidly amid geopolitical shifts, the decarbonization transition, and advances in AI and autonomous navigation," said Park Dong-seok, the city's director of advanced industries. "I hope this conference will be a forum where we can collectively explore strategies for the future."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com