Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF, Acting Minister Kim Sung-bum) jointly held the Strategic Meeting of the M.AX Alliance for Autonomous Ships on Monday, December 29, at Lotte Hotel Seoul. The meeting brought together approximately 100 participants from around 50 organizations, including shipbuilders, shipping companies, AI firms such as Naver and KT, universities, and research institutes.

The meeting was particularly significant, as it marked the first time that key policymakers and industry leaders from Korea’s shipbuilding and shipping sectors convened to discuss a shared vision for the future of the maritime industry.

Official Launch of the M.AX (Manufacturing AX) Alliance for Autonomous Ships

Autonomous ships are emerging as a key strategic sector for the global shipbuilding and shipping industries as they confront structural shifts driven by tighter carbon-neutrality regulations, higher maritime safety standards, changes in seafaring workforce structures, and intensifying competition from rival countries.

While MOTIR and MOF have made substantial progress under Phase I of the Autonomous Ship Technology Development initiative—including successful real-world trials on international shipping routes—acquiring and sharing real-world demonstration data is an essential priority for Phase II development. This industry consensus led to the launch of the Alliance, which brings together the shipbuilding, shipping, and AI industries to develop a shared data foundation and establish a cooperative demonstration framework. Securing a larger volume of demonstration data is critical to achieving technological leadership ahead of the establishment of International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards around 2030.

At the meeting, the Alliance outlined its vision around three core pillars: Speed, Engagement, and Alliance (S.E.A.). “Speed” reflects the commitment to rapidly develop and demonstrate autonomous ship technologies to secure early leadership in international standards. “Engagement” emphasizes the Alliance’s role as an industrial cooperation platform that organically integrates shipbuilding and shipping, large enterprises and SMEs, and the public and private sectors. “Alliance” underscores a commitment to shared growth by establishing a virtuous structure that enables outcomes generated within the Alliance to be disseminated across the broader industrial ecosystem.

During the event, the Korea Planning and Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) and the Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC) signed a memorandum of understanding to foster an AI-based autonomous ship ecosystem. By bringing together design and sea-trial data from shipbuilders, operational data accumulated by shipping companies, and algorithmic and data processing capabilities from AI firms, the Alliance will enhance the reliability and technical maturity of AI-enabled autonomous navigation systems.

Looking ahead, MOTIR and MOF will launch demonstration projects next year to build the world’s largest public dataset for AI training in autonomous ship technologies, while advancing a project to develop AI-enabled, fully autonomous ships. The Alliance will discuss concrete measures regarding the scope, methods, and targets of data collection, with the outcomes reflected in government-supported programs. The outputs will then be standardized, platformized, and converted into public datasets for broader industry use. The ministries will continue to support these efforts through data sharing, demonstration support, and regulatory improvements.

Full-Scale Cooperation Between Korea’s Shipbuilding and Shipping Industries

The Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA) and the Korea Shipowners’ Association (KSA) also signed an agreement to promote shared growth between the shipbuilding and shipping industries. The agreement includes plans to establish a strategic council in the first quarter of next year to advance autonomous and environmentally friendly vessel technologies, maritime industry clusters, and workforce development. The two associations will also develop measures to strengthen cooperation between Korean shipping companies and domestic shipyards. MOTIR and MOF will provide priority policy support—including institutional improvements and budgetary assistance—for proposals put forward through the council.

Shipbuilding–Shipping One Team: Ride the Wave

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of MOTIR stated, “Korea’s shipbuilding and shipping industries have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to weather challenging conditions. As the AI wave approaches, the industries must come together to turn it into a new growth engine and move toward a brighter future.” He added, “Autonomous ships are one of the most promising areas for delivering tangible outcomes under the M.AX strategy. By combining world-class shipbuilding technologies with AI, Korea can lead the next-generation shipbuilding and shipping markets.” He emphasized, “MOTIR and MOF will foster autonomous ships as a future growth driver for both industries by integrating technology development, data utilization, and the broader industrial ecosystem through the M.AX Alliance.”

Acting Minister Kim Sung-bum of MOF described autonomous ships as “a game changer that will reshape the global shipping and shipbuilding industries,” and stressed that “MOF and MOTIR will work together to ensure that Korea’s shipping and shipbuilding sectors lead the development of autonomous ships and deliver concrete outcomes more rapidly and robustly,” reaffirming the ministries’ commitment to provide strong and sustained support.