HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and 11 South Korean organizations have agreed to establish a Marine Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology Demonstration Center, bringing together shipbuilding, nuclear engineering and academic expertise to develop and verify technologies for maritime nuclear applications.
The 12 participants signed a memorandum of understanding at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) on 6 October 2026, according to an official announcement by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries on 7 October.
The agreement establishes a framework for joint technology development, testing and demonstration. The center will coordinate participating organizations’ technical expertise, research personnel and facilities to support the development of marine SMR technologies.
The seven industry participants are HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, KEPCO Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Korean Register, Hyundai Heavy Industries Turbomachinery and Clad Korea.
Five additional organizations are involved: Ulsan Technopark, UNIST, Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Hanyang University.
Under the agreement, the partners plan to share existing testing equipment and research infrastructure to reduce duplicate investment and improve the efficiency of technology verification.
They will also combine industrial engineering requirements with academic research capabilities to jointly develop core technologies needed for marine SMR applications.
Another part of the cooperation involves identifying and planning major national projects and government-funded research and development programs.
The initiative is intended to connect South Korea’s ship design and construction capabilities with nuclear engineering expertise and university research resources. The participants aim to establish a coordinated approach covering technology development, demonstration and potential future commercialization.
Representatives of participating organizations, including Hyundai Engineering & Construction and KEPCO Engineering & Construction, said the cooperation would strengthen links between industry, universities and research institutions and support efforts toward the commercialization of marine SMR technology.
Won Kwang-sik, Executive Vice President and Head of the Offshore and Energy Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said the center would bring together expertise and research infrastructure from the country’s shipbuilding and nuclear sectors.
He added that the participating organizations would work to establish the foundations for marine nuclear technology demonstration and industrialization in stages.
