HD KSOE partners with University of Michigan to foster US ship engineers

South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (HD KSOE) has joined hands with the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (UM) and Seoul National University to nurture future vessel engineers in the US.

HD Hyundai Co.'s intermediate shipbuilding holding firm announced on Tuesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to train and foster shipbuilding talent in the US on Monday.

Under the term, HD KSOE and Seoul National University, Korea’s top university, will run joint research and education programs, as well as an internship program in the shipbuilding sector with the prestigious US university, known for outstanding engineering and business management programs.

The parent of Korea’s and the world’s No. 1 shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HD HHI) expects the latest partnership will enhance the competitiveness of the US shipbuilding industry while opening up the US and Korea’s collaboration opportunities in the US battleships’ maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector, said HD KSOE’s technical advisor Shin Jong-gye.

HD HHI signed a Ship Maintenance Relations Agreement (MSRA) with the US Navy earlier this month, giving the Korean shipbuilder the right to compete for the US Navy’s MRO work over the next five years.

The US naval ship MRO market is estimated at 20 trillion won ($14.4 billion) annually.

The latest partnership was actively organized by US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro who visited HHI’s headquarters in Ulsan, Korea, boasting globally top-notch shipbuilding facilities, in February.

"This partnership will provide invaluable opportunities for civilian and navy engineers to learn in HD Hyundai’s world-class shipyards," said Del Toro.  

HD KSOE and Seoul National University are also seeking to forge partnerships with other leading universities in the US, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Virginia Tech.

HD KSOE controls other shipbuilders such as HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. and HD Hyundai Samho Co.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.