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Deep-Tech Startups Given IR Opportunity with the Three Major Shipbuilders [Financial News] The three major domestic shipbuilders—HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hanwha Ocean—met with deep-tech startups in Ulsan to accelerate the smart transformation of the domestic shipbuilding industry.

On the 4th, the Busan Research and Development District Foundation, in collaboration with the Ulsan Creative Economy Innovation Center, announced that it held the ‘Fall into OPEN INNOVATION’ event at the Hotel Hyundai by Lahan in Ulsan on the 31st of last month. 

On the 31st of last month, during the 'Fall into OPEN INNOVATION' event held at the Hotel Hyundai by Lahan in Ulsan, Hwang Dae-cheol, CEO of JotaCo (left), is pitching during an IR presentation to representatives of the three major shipbuilders. Photo courtesy of the Busan Research and Development District Foundation.

According to the Busan Research and Development District Headquarters, this event was organized by the Foundation for the Promotion of Research and Development Districts to identify digital transformation technology needs from the three major shipbuilders and match them with 32 deep-tech companies nationwide, including research lab-based companies located in the district.

The digital transformation interests of each shipyard are as follows: Hanwha Ocean is focused on "smart yards (intelligent workplaces)," Hyundai Heavy Industries is interested in "manufacturing robots and digital twin applications for smart shipyards," and Samsung Heavy Industries is concentrating on "production design automation."

Out of the invited startups, 8 companies were selected for meetups with the three major shipbuilders for investment discussions. These companies span various fields, including AI robots (HandaLab), AI mooring devices (JotaCo), seawater battery ESS (FreeOne), process AI solutions (InEasy), industrial digital twins (Samwoo Emersion), and AI safety management (Paran).

Among the selected companies for the meetups, four are innovation enterprises from the research and development district: JotaCo and FreeOne (Busan R&D district lab-based companies) and HandaLab and Agos Vision (Daedeok R&D district lab-based companies).

A representative from the Busan R&D district headquarters stated, "This event was held to connect deep-tech startups, which are research lab-based companies, with large corporations, the ultimate consumers of the industrial ecosystem. We aimed to achieve both the AI transformation in shipyards and help startups open new business pathways. We will continue to communicate with both startups and large enterprises, working towards follow-up technology commercialization, including technology validation programs."

On the 31st of last month, the "Fall into OPEN INNOVATION" event took place at the Hotel Hyundai by Lahan in Ulsan, where attendees gathered for a commemorative photo. (Photo provided by the Busan Research and Development District Headquarters, Foundation for the Promotion of Research and Development Districts).