Entrepreneurs from Nantong and South Korea discuss at a cooperation exchange meeting in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, arranged a visit for over 20 local shipbuilding and marine engineering support enterprises to Nantong, Jiangsu province, on May 28.

The delegation toured Nantong companies, including Wison and Nantong COSCO Shipyard Engineering, to foster high-level, in-depth exchanges and collaboration in the shipbuilding and marine engineering sectors.

Shipbuilding and marine engineering are hallmark industries for Nantong, with last year's output value exceeding 220 billion yuan ($32.51 billion). The visiting South Korean companies possess world-leading technological advantages in areas such as ballast water management systems, pipe fittings, and cargo hold monitoring systems. These capabilities closely align with Nantong's needs to enhance and fortify its industrial chain, presenting vast opportunities for cooperation.

Li Ling, vice-mayor of Nantong, expressed hope at a cooperation exchange meeting that entrepreneurs from both regions could identify common interests in technical exchanges, joint research and development, and industrial chain collaboration, thereby tapping into the growth opportunities within China's shipbuilding market. She also anticipated that KOTRA would actively promote Nantong, attracting more high-end talent and quality projects.

Kim Kwang-il, chief representative of the KOTRA Nanjing Office, announced plans to organize additional South Korean enterprises to participate in this year's Nantong Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Industry Exhibition, further strengthening supply chain cooperation between South Korea and China in the shipbuilding industry.