Japan's First Shipbuilding Industry Revitalization Projects Receive ¥213.1 Billion in Support

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 4, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism officially certified the first three hull supply assurance plans under the newly established Shipbuilding Industry Revitalization Fund, involving eight companies including Imabari Shipbuilding, Japan Marine United (JMU), and Namura Shipbuilding, with a maximum total subsidy of approximately ¥213.1 billion (about $13.6 billion) for fiscal years 2026–2034. The funds will be used for shipyard expansion, lifting equipment, labor-saving and automated production facilities, and other projects to enhance shipbuilding capacity.

Among them, the project comprising Imabari Shipbuilding, Tadotsu Shipbuilding, and Steel Hub received the largest subsidy of up to approximately ¥113.8 billion, making it the largest of the initial projects; the project of Japan Marine United, JMU Amtec, and Ariake Steel Center received a maximum subsidy of approximately ¥49.4 billion; and the project of Namura Shipbuilding and Hakodate Dock received a maximum subsidy of approximately ¥49.9 billion. All three plans were certified on September 4 under Japan's Act on Promotion of Economic Security, supporting advanced production facilities that enhance hull supply capacity.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism had previously included "hulls" within the scope of specified critical materials under the economic security framework. This marks the first official certification of hull supply assurance plans under the Shipbuilding Industry Revitalization Fund. The fund supports large-scale shipyard expansion, crane installation, and the development of labor-saving and automated facilities, with investment plans submitted by other shipbuilders to be reviewed in subsequent batches.

Imabari Shipbuilding previously disclosed that its equipment investment plans include upgrading automatic welding equipment at the Marugame Plant, constructing outfitting platforms and fuel tank production facilities at the Nishitadotsu Division, and continuing to increase production equipment investment for capacity expansion in conjunction with the Shipbuilding Industry Revitalization Fund. The company delivered a total of 68 new vessels totaling 3.76 million gross tons in fiscal 2025, including 45 bulk carriers, 11 container ships, 6 car carriers, 3 product tankers, and 3 ro-ro ships.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuo Kaneko stated that the first three plans are expected to drive approximately ¥600 billion in public-private investment over the next decade, with the combined shipbuilding capacity of the participating companies expected to increase by approximately 50%. The government has set a target of raising domestic annual shipbuilding capacity to 18 million gross tons by 2035, roughly double the 9 million gross tons recorded in 2024, with overall public-private investment in the shipbuilding industry planned at approximately ¥1 trillion.