Japan consortium to kick off gov’t-backed project to ‘boost’ its shipbuilding capacity

July 9, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

A consortium consisting of ten Japanese shipbuilders, research institutes and academic institutions has unpacked a five-year initiative to ‘boost’ the competitiveness and digital transformation of the maritime industry and support the development of next-generation, high-performance vessels.

The project, for which ¥12 billion (around $81.6 million) has been allocated, was jointly created and proposed by MTI Co., an NYK Group company, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU), Mitsui E&S, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, the National Maritime Research Institute, Tsuneishi Akishima Laboratory, the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Osaka, and Kyoto University.

Titled “Development of Integrated Simulation Platform for Sustainable and Competitive Maritime Industry”, the project has reportedly been selected by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) under the government’s “Key and Advanced Technology R&D through Cross Community Collaboration Program (K Program).”

The K Program promotes research, development, and practical application of advanced technologies that are seen as essential for the country’s future economic security and international influence.

As understood, the consortium will endeavor to advance R&D efforts of high-performance vessels by using digital solutions and high-resolution, ‘high precision’ environmental change prediction tools to enhance ship design, construction, and operation, as outlined in the K Program.

With vessel demands shifting toward alternative fuels and other, advanced solutions that cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and save energy, Japan’s maritime industry has struggled to engineer and supply next-generation ships with “complex functions in a shorter lead time” while also expanding its shipbuilding capacity to meet the surging demand, particularly amid a declining labor force, the consortium has explained.

To address this, the R&D project is set to establish an Integrated Simulation Platform, which could allow for simultaneous considerations of both the ship’s lifecycle and the supply chain at the initial development and design phases. As disclosed, the goal here would be to optimize vessel design and construction plans.

Moreover, the initiative will support the implementation of virtual engineering concepts and techniques in Japan’s maritime industry. Concerning sea and weather condition predictions, the partners said that a seasonal prediction solution, covering one to three months ahead (including phenomena like typhoons), is planned to be created and then integrated into the platform.

Despite the present challenges, including declines in construction volume and order intake, Japan still retains its spot as the world’s third biggest shipbuilder. As informed, the country’s vessel construction players completed orders with a combined gross tonnage of approximately 9 million in 2024, which marked a decrease from the roughly 9.9 million GT in 2023.

Numerous developments have taken place within this landscape this year, with multiple shipbuilding companies adjusting their courses both toward net zero and toward ‘strengthened’ competitiveness. For instance, since the end of June, some of Japan’s most prominent players in this sector recalibrated as a way to gain stronger footing.

At the end of June, Imabari Shipbuilding, said to be the biggest vessel construction in the East Asian country, acquired a portion of the shares of Japan Marine United Corporation that were owned by the JFE Steel Corporation and IHI Corporation, thus gaining a 60% ownership of JMU.

Just days later, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding purchased all the shares of Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding from Mitsui E&S, making it now a wholly-owned subsidiary that will be registered under the new name Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyobay.

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