The shipbuilding industry is responsible for the design and construction of oceangoing vessels all around the world. Most of the global ship production today is concentrated in Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, though large shipyards also exist in many other countries. The shipbuilding industry is involved in the construction and modification of ships and these operations are carried out in specialized facilities called shipyards. Commercial ships or vessels can be broadly segmented into segments that include tankers; bulkers; LNG carriers; LPG carriers; containers and others. Ships are built on custom made to order. Shipbuilding process starts with inquiries from customers, followed by completion of various processes until the vessel is completed. It takes at least 2 years to complete the manufacturing of a ship.

South Korea is a major contributor to the global shipbuilding market in terms of new shipbuilding orders whereas China holds a lion’s share in the global shipbuilding completions. Europe has been observing growth in its shipbuilding orderbook.

The global shipbuilding market is expected to grow in future due to increasing seaborne trade and economic growth, rising energy consumption, demand of eco-friendly ships and shipping services. Key trends of this market growing market segments, significant consumption of steel, average age of global fleet, advancements in container shipping, and rising demand for LNG fueled engine. In Japan, several reforms have taken place. In Korea, government is taking various initiatives to support shipbuilding industry. However, there are some factors which can hinder the market growth including associated risk of cyber breaches and environmental regulations.

The global shipbuilding industry is majorly dominated by three companies: HHI; DSME; and SHI. In terms of new orders, HHI leads the industry followed by DSME. Soon a merger is expected between these two shipbuilders. All three of them are Korean companies and leading the Korean shipbuilding industry as well.