HD Hyundai Embarks on Joint Shipbuilding Project in the United States

• Top executives from Edison Chouest Offshore visits HD Hyundai to discuss broad-ranging collaboration, including joint shipbuilding initiatives
• U.S. engineers join as delegates to observe Korea's design and production processes — facilitating the transfer of world-class shipbuilding expertise
• Chung Kisun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai: "This joint initiative will become a milestone in Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation"

SEOUL, South Korea, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HD Hyundai is officially beginning its on-site initiatives for joint shipbuilding operations in the United States.

HD Hyundai announced on Wednesday, July 23^rd that a delegation from its U.S. shipbuilding partner, Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), visited Korea to discuss detailed plans for the joint construction of container vessels in the United States.

Led by CEO Dino Chouest, a delegation of more than ten key executives and engineers from ECO visited Korea from Tuesday, July 22^nd to Wednesday, July 23^rd. During their two-day visit, the delegation toured HD Hyundai's Global R&D Center, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' and HD Hyundai Mipo's shipyard to witness firsthand the technological capabilities and shipbuilding expertise of the world's leading shipbuilder.

Earlier in June, the two companies signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a strategic and comprehensive partnership, agreeing to jointly build medium-sized container vessels at ECO's shipyard by 2028. They also committed to expanding the scope of cooperation beyond ship types to include port cranes—a sector with heightened security considerations.

HD Hyundai also dispatched a team of more than ten experts to ECO's shipyard last month to inspect production systems and facilities, while also providing consultation to enhance productivity.

On the first day of their visit, Tuesday, July 22^nd, the ECO delegation visited HD Hyundai's Global R&D Center located in Gyeonggi, Korea. After receiving a briefing on HD Hyundai's cutting-edge technologies and shipbuilding capabilities, they toured the Digital Insight Center to observe the operational status of HD Hyundai-built vessels currently in service around the world.

The delegation then visited the site where automation solutions were developed and discussed its practical application along with robotic welding technologies at shipyards. This was based on a shared understanding that to expand joint shipbuilding efforts in the U.S., strengthening local infrastructure and enhancing production capabilities will be necessary.

A meeting was also held between the top executives of both companies. During the discussion, Chung Kisun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai, and Chouest agreed to expand their partnership beyond joint construction of container vessels and explore future business opportunities together.

Chung shared that "HD Hyundai fully supports efforts to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry," and added "the joint shipbuilding project between the two companies in the United States will serve as an excellent example of Korea-U.S. cooperation in the shipbuilding sector."

On the second day of their visit, Wednesday, July 23^rd, the ECO delegation traveled to Ulsan to tour shipyards at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Mipo. They observed shipbuilding sites, boarded large container vessels, and closely examined HD Hyundai's design and production processes, dock operation and management methods, as well as its automation systems.

The engineers from ECO, who accompanied the delegation to Korea, will remain for another week to learn advanced shipbuilding techniques and participate in a technical exchange workshop where they will discuss detailed plans for joint shipbuilding.

Meanwhile, ECO is a U.S.-based shipbuilding group that operates eighteen commercial shipyards across the country. The company has built and currently operates a fleet of 300 Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs), demonstrating its world-class competitiveness in the OSV sector.

SOURCE HD Hyundai