Samsung Heavy Targets U.S. Shipbuilding Revival With LNG, AI and Workforce Deals

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Samsung Heavy Industries has widened its push into the United States shipbuilding market through a series of agreements covering LNG bunkering vessels, autonomous maritime systems, shipyard automation and skilled workforce training.

The South Korean shipbuilder announced the agreements after attending the opening of the Korea U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center in Washington, D.C., on July 23.

The center has been established under South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources to encourage joint research and improve cooperation between Korean and American shipbuilders, companies and government agencies.

For the United States, the challenge is clear. New shipyards and vessel orders can be announced quickly, but where will the technical expertise, production systems and trained workers come from?

Samsung Heavy is positioning its shipbuilding technology and shipyard operating experience as part of the answer.

Samsung Heavy and Conrad Shipyard jointly received Approval in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping for the basic design of a 12,000 cubic metre LNG bunkering barge.

The approval confirms that the vessel’s concept design has been assessed against applicable classification requirements and provides a foundation for further engineering work.

The two companies established a cooperation framework in December 2025 to jointly construct LNG bunkering barges in the United States.

The vessel is intended to support the growing requirement for marine LNG supply infrastructure as more LNG fuelled ships enter service. Building the barge domestically could also provide American yards with access to Samsung Heavy’s vessel design and production knowledge.

Samsung Heavy also signed a memorandum of understanding with Saronic Technologies, a United States company focused on autonomous maritime systems.

The companies will examine the development of autonomous vessel technology and artificial intelligence powered digital solutions. Cooperation will also cover production infrastructure, including the use of robotics to automate manufacturing processes.

The agreement brings together Samsung Heavy’s experience in large scale ship construction and Saronic’s work in autonomous maritime platforms.

Autonomous systems are attracting increasing attention from commercial and defence maritime operators, but designing the vessel is only part of the equation. Production must also be scalable, repeatable and suitable for industrial shipyard environments.

Samsung Heavy expanded its existing cooperation with Vigor Marine Group by signing a joint development agreement for a training center in the northwestern United States.

The center will focus on developing welding and painting personnel for shipbuilding and ship repair operations.

Training will use Samsung Heavy’s virtual reality and augmented reality systems, together with its welding, painting and production training programmes.

The initiative addresses one of the most persistent constraints facing shipbuilding expansion in the United States. Modern facilities and new orders cannot increase output without qualified workers able to perform specialised production and repair tasks.

Samsung Heavy also signed research agreements with several United States universities and technology companies during a joint research ceremony held alongside the center’s opening.

The company will work with UCLA and welding equipment manufacturer Miller on an artificial intelligence based stainless steel spool manufacturing system.

A separate research programme involving the University of Texas at Dallas, San Diego State University and California Polytechnic State University will develop a virtual training system for shipbuilding workers.

The agreements broaden the partnership beyond vessel construction by connecting shipyards with universities, equipment manufacturers and digital technology developers.

Sung An Choi, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Heavy Industries, said the opening of the partnership center represented a new milestone for cooperation that had been prepared over several years.

He said the company would use its technical capabilities to support renewed growth in the Korean and United States shipbuilding and maritime industries.