Japan’s shipbuilding industry is accelerating its shift to greener and more digital operations under a government-led rebuilding policy, opening wider opportunities for South Korean marine equipment suppliers.
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, known as KOTRA, said April 21 it will join the Sea Japan 2026 exhibition in Japan from April 22-24 with the city of Busan and the Korea Marine Equipment Association, or KOMEA, to operate a pavilion showcasing top Korean shipbuilding equipment. KOTRA also released a report titled “Japan’s Shipbuilding Revival Policy and Market Entry Opportunities.”
KOTRA said the move is aimed at helping companies respond to changes driven by Japan’s rebuilding push. Japan once held about half of the global shipbuilding market in the 1970s, but its share fell to 5.4% last year as South Korea and China expanded. In response, the Japanese government drew up a “Shipbuilding Industry Revitalization Roadmap” in 2025, calling for shipbuilding capacity to double to 18 million gross tons by 2035, alongside major investment in digitalization and decarbonization.
Japanese shipbuilders are stepping up investment in production automation, autonomous navigation technology and development of eco-friendly vessels, KOTRA said. With mandatory implementation of a greenhouse gas emissions trading system starting in April, demand is rising quickly for carbon-reduction devices and propulsion systems based on hydrogen, ammonia and LNG, it said.
Structural pressures are also reshaping the market. Japan’s shipbuilding sector faces labor shortages and aging facilities, driving demand for robots, data-driven operations and equipment that improves maintenance efficiency. That is increasing the chances for Korean firms with strengths in areas such as AI-based ship safety management and smart design and maintenance solutions, KOTRA said.
At Sea Japan 2026, KOTRA said it will hold product displays and business consultations with 20 Korean companies. The pavilion will feature AI-based safety management systems, eco-friendly ship equipment, and design and maintenance solutions, with networking and B2B meetings aimed at generating export results.
Sea Japan is Japan’s largest shipbuilding and maritime exhibition, bringing together global companies and experts in shipbuilding, shipping and marine equipment, and is seen as a key platform for entering the market.
“Japan’s shipbuilding revitalization roadmap is an opportunity for South Korea and Japan to respond together to changes in the global maritime industry,” KOTRA Vice President Kim Kwan-mook said. “We will continue to support Korean marine equipment companies so they can enter the Japanese market in earnest.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.