On June 2, the Metropolitan Expo in Athens was bustling with attendees for Posidonia 2026, following the official opening the previous day. The venue was alive with meetings and consultations as global shipowners, shipbuilders, and equipment manufacturers engaged in discussions and technical presentations.
Held biennially, Posidonia is considered one of the world's top three maritime exhibitions alongside Germany's SMM and Norway's Nor-Shipping.
Posidonia 2026, which began on June 1 and runs for five days, is the largest in its history, featuring 2,227 companies from 83 countries and covering an exhibition area of 45,000 square meters. More than 40,000 visitors are expected to attend during the event.
Among the global companies present, the prominence of K-Shipbuilding was particularly noteworthy. This year, the Korean Pavilion, organized by the Korea Marine Equipment Association (KOMEA) in collaboration with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), brought together the domestic shipbuilding and maritime industry.
Major Korean shipbuilders, including HD Hyundai, Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and HJ Shipbuilding, along with equipment manufacturers and the Korean Register (KR), showcased the Korean shipbuilding and maritime ecosystem. As a result, the Korean Pavilion attracted a steady stream of global shipowners and industry representatives from early morning.
Notably, the KR exhibition area, set up as an independent booth within the Korean Pavilion, hosted several memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremonies. With the recent tightening of environmental regulations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the role of classification societies in supporting vessel certification and decarbonization strategies has become increasingly important. The demand for collaboration between domestic and international companies is also on the rise, especially in the adoption of eco-friendly vessels and alternative fuel technologies, where verification and certification by classification societies are essential.
A KR representative stated, "This year, we expect to sign over 10 MOUs. Overseas shipowners are showing significant interest in digital platforms that can assist in making practical decisions in response to the increasing carbon reduction demands."
However, many of the MOUs signed during the event focused on collaboration among domestic companies, resulting in limited tangible business partnerships with global shipowners. This was somewhat disappointing given the significance of the world's largest maritime exhibition.
HD Hyundai showcased 178,000-cubic-meter and 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carriers equipped with wind-assisted devices as its main offerings. Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries also presented a diverse portfolio centered on LNG carriers and VLCCs.
The most notable presence was from the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the largest shipbuilding group in the world, formed by the merger of CSSC and China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) in September 2022.
At this event, CSSC set up its first integrated booth since the merger, showcasing an impressive display of large ship models and digital exhibits, drawing large crowds of visitors eager to explore the booth.
These companies are reportedly expanding their local sales networks targeting Greece, the world's largest shipowning nation, and are conducting large-scale receptions and business contracts during Posidonia.
Im Sung-hwan, head of KR's European office, acknowledged, "While the presence of Chinese companies is undoubtedly formidable, Korean shipbuilders still maintain a competitive edge in high-value sectors such as LNG carriers and eco-friendly ship technology. If the public and private sectors work as a unified team with a connected infrastructure, Korea can outpace China's pursuit in the future shipbuilding market and maintain its technological leadership."
Meanwhile, this year's Posidonia featured not only shipbuilders, KR, and equipment manufacturers but also companies from other sectors such as power, engines, and paints. Notably, paint manufacturer KCC participated in Posidonia for the tenth time this year, showcasing a portfolio of marine coatings designed to meet the demands of enhanced environmental regulations and improved vessel operational efficiency.
[This article was supported by the Foundation for the Sea and the Korea Marine Journalists Association.]
* This article has been translated by AI.
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