Two Japanese shipbuilders sign business cooperation pact

Yasunori Kohatake, Vice President of Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and Tetsuro Koga, President, Mitsui E&S

MAY 7, 2018 — As Japanese shipbuilders continue to look at ways to boost their competitive edge, Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. have signed a business cooperation agreement.

According to a statement, the purpose is “to attain continuous growth of the shipbuilding business through collaboration between the two companies in building up design and development capacity and cost competitiveness, and thereby obtaining more orders, while at the same time maintaining their respective independence in management.”

Areas of cooperation will include joint research and development, technical collaboration in design and manufacturing and mutual cooperation in procurement activities.

Also in the mix: mutual utilization of manufacturing facilities. “By making mutual effective use of manufacturing facilities owned by the companies both in Japan and overseas (including outsourcing shipbuilding and ship’s hull block, etc.), the companies will seek to expand and increase their manufacturing capabilities and enhance their cost competitiveness in manufacturing,” says the statement.

The cooperation agreement also covers personnel exchanges and provision of mutual support with regard to seasonal fluctuations in workload and sudden unexpected events.