Korea-China Eco-Friendly Ship Cooperation Expands... KMI Hosts Global Partnering Forum in Wuhan

Over 100 Participants from Government, Business, and Academia

"Discussing Cooperation on Eco-Friendly Ships"

The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI, President Cho Junghi) announced on July 15 that, in collaboration with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA, President Kang Kyung-sung), it held the "2026 Korea-Hubei Eco-Friendly+Ship Global Partnering Forum" at the Shangri-La Hotel in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on July 9.

The forum was co-hosted by KMI and the KOTRA Wuhan Trade Office. On the Korean side, participants included the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority (KOMSA), and the Korean Register of Shipping. On the Chinese side, organizations such as the Foreign Affairs Office of the Hubei Provincial People's Government, the Department of Transportation of Hubei Province, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Wuhan Municipal People’s Government, the Development and Reform Commission, Wuhan University of Technology, and the Wuhan Hydrogen Energy Industry Promotion Association participated.

The "Korea-Hubei Forum," which began in 2015, has served as a cooperative platform aimed at expanding friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between Korea and Hubei Province. Since 2022, KMI has participated as a joint organizer, broadening the scope of collaboration to the maritime sector. This year, in line with the global movement toward carbon neutrality, “eco-friendly ships” were positioned as a key agenda item.

Under the theme of “Utilizing Eco-Friendly Energy and Development Prospects in the Shipbuilding Sector,” the event attracted around 100 participants, including government officials, company representatives, and academic experts from the shipbuilding, shipping, and hydrogen energy sectors, reflecting strong interest in the topic.

At the opening ceremony, Shin Beomjun, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Officer at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, and Wang Wei, Director of the Port Industry Development Center, Department of Transportation of Hubei Province, gave congratulatory speeches in which they emphasized the need to expand Korea-China cooperation in the maritime industry.

The sessions that followed focused on sharing eco-friendly ship policies and industry trends in both countries, as well as specific corporate case studies.

In the first session, the KMI China Research Center introduced the current status and future direction of Korea’s use of eco-friendly ships, while Wuhan University of Technology highlighted the development of China’s eco-friendly ship industry.

The second session featured presentations from Korean eco-friendly ship companies such as VINSSEN and Hylium, along with Chinese companies including Wuhan Qingchenglvdong, Jiangsu Guo Fu Qing Neng, and Weilaizichuang, which introduced applications and technologies related to hydrogen and other green energies in ships, and discussed opportunities for cooperation.

In the third session, the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority, the Korean Register of Shipping, and the Hubei Provincial Integrated Transportation Research Association exchanged information on both countries' hydrogen ship operation standards and policies, and discussed directions for international standards cooperation.

This forum was notable for going beyond presentations, as it also hosted one-on-one business meetings between Korean and Chinese companies. Participating companies discussed technology cooperation and market entry strategies in person, directly exploring possibilities for practical business collaboration.

Recently, eco-friendly fuels and hydrogen ships have emerged as core competitive edges in the global shipbuilding and maritime industries. As a result, not only technology development but also cross-border cooperation on international standards and market access are gaining traction.

Cho Junghi, President of KMI, stated, "This forum has served as an opportunity for our companies to expand overseas business opportunities, going beyond merely sharing technology between Korea and China in the eco-friendly ship sector. Moving forward, we will continue to closely cooperate with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and related organizations to provide strong support for Korean companies so their expansion into the global eco-friendly maritime market leads to tangible results."

The Korea Maritime Institute, in collaboration with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, held the "2026 Korea-Hubei Eco-Friendly + Ship Global Partnering Forum" on the 9th at the Shangri-La Hotel in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and took a commemorative photo.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.