Washington: Hanwha Ocean Co., the shipbuilding arm of South Korea's Hanwha Group, has announced the signing of multiple agreements with U.S. companies focused on naval ship design and the development of the shipbuilding supply chain.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the agreements were signed in Washington during the inauguration of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC). This platform aims to support the "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA) initiative, which seeks to rejuvenate the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

A significant agreement includes a professional services contract with Leidos Gibbs and Cox for designing the Global Fast Sealift (GFS) vessel. This follows a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in April, which outlined cooperation in next-generation naval ship design and enhancing U.S. shipbuilding capacity. Hanwha Ocean emphasized the synergy between its naval shipbuilding capabilities and Leidos' expertise in ship design and engineering.

Additionally, Hanwha Ocean signed an MOU with Hanwha Philly Shipyard (HPSI), its U.S. subsidiary, and Delaware County Community College to collaborate on shipbuilding technology training and workforce development. Another MOU was inked with HPSI, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Philadelphia Growth Partnership to strengthen the shipbuilding supply chain.

Hanwha Ocean expressed its commitment to revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industry while also supporting the growth of South Korea's shipbuilding sector. Jung In-sub, president and head of the Management Support Office at Hanwha Ocean, stated the company's intention to expand cooperation in crucial areas and play a pivotal role in the MASGA project.