Okada SHITAKA, President of KOSCO JAPAN, announced the company’s business direction and investment plans for Japan. KOSCO JAPAN will strengthen sales in its existing maritime, shipbuilding and factory automation businesses while pursuing the establishment of a battery regeneration plant and entering the real estate development business as new areas of growth. President Okada emphasized that KOSCO JAPAN’s role is to identify changes in the Japanese market and understand customer requirements at close range, then turn them into new contracts and business opportunities. The company plans to move beyond its existing customer base and actively seek new clients and projects throughout Japan. In the maritime and shipbuilding sectors, KOSCO JAPAN will expand its business development activities targeting Japanese shipowners, shipping companies, po

“Together, We Build Safety; Together, We Build the Future” — Reinforcing Management Accountability and On-Site Safety Standards KOSCO SD held a safety meeting at its Norwegian operations under the theme “Together, We Build Safety; Together, We Build the Future,” attended by department heads from across the organization. The meeting was organized to establish a system in which department heads take direct responsibility for managing and monitoring safety, rather than leaving safety decisions solely to individual sites or designated personnel. This has become increasingly important as the company’s business and project activities expand and coordination between departments grows more complex. In shipbuilding and offshore operations, multiple processes are often carried out simultaneously, while working conditions can change rapidly. A seemi

Advancing an AI-Based Integrated Operating Platform by Connecting KOSCO AS Automation Technology with Shipyard Operational Data ​ The focus of shipyard automation is expanding beyond individual processes such as cutting, welding, and painting, toward smart yard systems capable of controlling the entire production flow of a shipyard in real time. The next stage of shipyard competitiveness is no longer limited to transporting materials, but lies in managing the location of parts, work sequences, storage areas, equipment operation, workforce deployment, and block movement through a unified data-driven system. KOSCO SD is reviewing the application of an AI-based smart yard automation system by combining its shipyard operating experience in Singapore and Norway with the factory automation, intelligent control, and logistics automation technolo

Lee Jincheol, Director of KOSCO SD, participated in Posidonia 2026, held from June 1 to 5, 2026, at the Metropolitan Expo in Athens, Greece, where he presented KOSCO SD’s future technology direction and independent strategy for the shipbuilding and maritime industry. Posidonia is one of the world’s leading international maritime and shipbuilding exhibitions, bringing together major shipping companies, shipyards, classification societies, equipment suppliers, and technology organizations. The event serves as a key platform for sharing global trends, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies across the maritime sector. In his presentation, Director Lee introduced KOSCO SD’s core technology direction, focusing on smart shipyard operation, high-load structural quality management, energy-efficiency-based facility improvement, and environme

KOSCO SD’s Singapore Shipyard is committed to protecting the health of its workforce and preventing heat-related illnesses by providing fruit punch and electrolyte drinks throughout the year. Mobile refreshment trucks are stationed across the shipyard, serving up to 12,000 portions of fruit punch and chilled electrolyte beverages to employees each day. The program is designed to help workers maintain hydration and replenish essential electrolytes in Singapore’s hot and humid climate. To further safeguard employees during periods of extreme heat, KOSCO SD operates a dedicated heat-stress management system. When the heat index exceeds 33°C, workers are granted a 20-minute break every two hours. In addition, lunch breaks are extended by 30 minutes and one hour when temperatures exceed 28.5°C and 32.5°C, respectively, ensuring sufficient rest

"Safety at Sea Begins Where No One Can See" Interview with KOSCO SD Singapore Shipyard's Critical Structural Welding Integrity Team The marine environment is far more demanding than most people realize. Massive waves, continuous vibration, torsional forces, and cyclic loading place enormous stress on a vessel throughout its operational life. Among all structural components, welded joints located in high-stress areas play a decisive role in determining a ship's safety, reliability, and service life. At KOSCO SD's Singapore Shipyard, a dedicated team of specialists is responsible for ensuring the integrity of these critical structural welds. The multinational team consists of Italian welding specialist Marco Bellini, Algerian non-destructive testing expert Ahmed Benyamina, Singaporean Team Leader Daniel Tan, and fatigue analysis and quality

Chairman Jongchul Kim has made an additional personal contribution of USD 3.6 million to the KOSCO Hope Foundation, further expanding the foundation’s global support initiatives for children and youth.Including this latest contribution, Chairman Kim’s cumulative personal donations to the foundation since 2022 have reached approximately USD 10.8 million. ​ This contribution was made not simply as financial support, but as part of a long-term initiative aimed at providing more stable and sustainable opportunities for children who remain underserved in education, protection, and basic living conditions. The foundation plans to establish region-specific support systems that reflect local social and educational environments, while gradually expanding customized programs tailored to each community’s needs. ​ Through this additional contribution

KOSCO SD Global Integrated Research Center is not a conventional R&D organization. The technologies developed here are not intended to remain at the research stage, but are designed from the outset to be deployed in real maritime environments and to fundamentally transform how operations are conducted across the industry. Autonomous navigation, green propulsion, and floating offshore platforms. KOSCO SD does not treat these as separate domains.  Each is developed as part of a single direction—the transformation of operational structures. “Transitioning from human-dependent operations to system-driven operations.” KOSCO SD applies a clear standard in selecting technologies: not whether they perform well in isolation, but whether they can operate reliably in real conditions and drive meaningful change in how systems are run. In this intervi

“Research does not end with development. It becomes a true competitive advantage only when it is protected.” In a video congratulatory address delivered for the completion ceremony of the Johor Bahru Integrated Research Center, Chairman Jongchul Kim extended his sincere congratulations on the completion of the research center and expressed his hope that it will grow into a key base for preparing and accumulating the company’s future technologies.  He further emphasized that this completion is not merely the finishing of a research facility, but an important starting point for expanding the company’s technological development capabilities and substantively preparing its future competitiveness. On this occasion, Chairman Kim stated that the role of the research center does not end with creating new technologies, but also includes considerin

KOSCO SD announced the completion of Phase 1 construction of the “KOSCO SD Global Integrated Research Center” located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, marking a significant milestone in establishing a global hub for advanced maritime and shipbuilding technologies. ​ The newly completed facility consists of three buildings with a total floor area of approximately 16,000 square meters and three above-ground floors.  It has been developed as an integrated research complex combining advanced R&D infrastructure with sustainable architectural design. The building features a modern glass curtain wall façade and a horizontally extended structure that enhances openness, connectivity, and scalability of the research environment.  The design maximizes natural daylight utilization, contributing to energy efficiency while creating a high-quality working envi

Emily Carter has been appointed as Director of the Johor Bahru Global Integrated Research Center. The research center is currently under development, and this appointment has been made in advance as part of the organizational setup and operational preparation. Emily Carter holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Control Systems) from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (Nonlinear Control and Autonomous Systems) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She began her career as a Control Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin and subsequently worked in the Industrial Automation Division and Digital Industries (Factory Automation) at Siemens as Senior and Principal Engineer, where she was involved in in

Global R&D hubs in France, Norway, and Singapore to support technology validation and international commercialization KOSCO Holdings announced that four technology startups have been selected for the first round of its Global Youth Venture Entrepreneurship Support Program.  The selected companies operate in emerging fields related to the future maritime industry, including marine energy, maritime data, vessel safety, and autonomous navigation technologies. The four selected startups are Thiospark Energy (Singapore), Measure.AI (Singapore), UNDA (France), and Sensnet Analytics (Norway).  These companies are early-stage deep-tech startups, many originating from research-based technologies, and will be supported through KOSCO’s global research network and industrial infrastructure to advance technology validation and commercialization. Thios

KOSCO SD’s Norway shipyard has successfully launched a next-generation high-speed landing vessel designated for European Union (EU) operations. This project marks the company’s first naval vessel delivery to a military customer, representing a significant milestone in KOSCO SD’s entry into the defense and special vessel market. The newly launched landing vessel is designed as a rapid deployment platform capable of transporting medium-scale cargo and troops directly to areas near operational zones.  With a maximum speed of approximately 35–45 knots (65–83 km/h), the vessel delivers exceptional mobility, enabling swift response and enhanced operational flexibility for joint missions. In terms of capacity, the vessel can simultaneously transport approximately 600 tons of cargo and more than 300 personnel.  The integrated transport capability

During the Lunar New Year period, business operations at each site will follow the statutory public holiday schedules of the respective countries. Depending on the country, the holiday period ranges from a minimum of two days to up to approximately ten days. Employees will be granted Lunar New Year leave in accordance with the holiday schedule of their country of origin, regardless of their current work location. Due to differences in holiday schedules across countries, certain business activities may require coordination during this period.Please confirm relevant matters in advance with your respective contact persons. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our customers and partners. We wish all employees a meaningful and enjoyable Lunar New Year with their families. Thank you.

Large-Scale Gantry-Type Flat-Panel Welding System Undergoing Shipyard Field Trials An AI automated welding system (two prototype units) developed under the leadership of the Norwegian Integrated Research Institute has been completed and is currently undergoing field trials at a shipyard in Norway, based on actual ship block production processes. The system deployed for testing is not a conventional handheld welder or a small robotic arm, but a gantry-based automated welding system designed specifically for large flat-panel shipbuilding processes.  The equipment is built around a large overhead gantry beam, a high-rigidity vertical column, and a large-diameter welding head, optimized for long, continuous straight-line welding of large ship blocks. Why the System Is Large: Rigidity and Straightness, Not Just Power The system is designed wit

Affiliate-Level Annual Performance Reviews Completed at Singapore Headquarters ​ The Group’s year-end business performance reporting schedule was conducted at the Singapore headquarters, and over the course of approximately five days, all affiliates completed their annual business performance reports and group-level evaluations. ​ This reporting process was designed to enable each affiliate, on a single legal entity basis, to systematically review its overall management, business, and operational performance for the year. The reviews were conducted against actual results compared to the plans established at the beginning of the year, with the objective of assessing outcomes and underlying causes from a group-wide perspective. Each affiliate submitted its year-end business performance report in accordance with the officially defined submis