Pukyong National University

Pukyong National University’s Global Industry-Academia Cooperation Platform Delivers Results as Local Company Nears KRW 45 Billion Export Deal with the Philippines

- KOSTEC Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and MBI sign JVC agreement in Korea-Philippines Forum … Selected as preferred bidder for Philippine government’s floating dock project

- Pukyong National University’s Global Market Entry Support Team connects the university, local businesses, and overseas government and industry partners, bringing major export deals within reach

Pukyong National University (President Sang-Hoon Bae) is on the verge of securing an export contract worth approximately KRW 45 billion by supporting a Busan-based shipbuilding and marine engineering company’s entry into the Philippine market.

Pukyong National University announced that it held the 2026 Korea-Philippines BlueOceanTech Cooperation Forum at the SMX Convention Center in Manila, Philippines, on September 29, expanding cooperation between Busan-based shipbuilding and marine engineering companies and the Philippine government and industry while achieving tangible business outcomes.

At the heart of this achievement was the signing of a Joint Venture Consortium (JVC) agreement between KOSTEC Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., a Busan-based shipbuilding and marine engineering company, and Megaship Builders Inc. (MBI), a Philippine shipbuilding company.

KOSTEC Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. was recently selected as the preferred bidder in an international tender for a floating dock project commissioned by the Philippine government and is now close to signing an export contract worth approximately KRW 45 billion. Through the JVC agreement, KOSTEC and MBI have established a more concrete framework for cooperation in carrying out projects in the Philippines, laying the groundwork for large-scale shipbuilding and marine engineering projects.

This achievement reflects Pukyong National University’s ongoing efforts to support local companies’ entry into overseas markets by leveraging its global network to facilitate cooperation with foreign governments and industry partners.

The forum was organized as part of the Global Market Entry Support Team initiative, linked to Open-UIC, a signature model of Busan’s Anchor Project. Using its Yongdang Campus, an advanced fisheries and marine field campus, as a strategic hub, Pukyong National University has supported local companies in expanding into overseas markets while strengthening its global industry-academia cooperation network connecting the university, businesses, foreign government agencies, and industry partners.

In particular, since 2019, Pukyong National University has worked with the Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Plant Engineering Cooperative (KOSEC), based at its Yongdang Campus, to establish a foundation for cooperation through ongoing forums and business exchanges with government agencies and the shipbuilding and marine industries in Philippine cities, including Manila and Cebu.

Following the signing of a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between KOSTEC Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. and MBI at the Korea-Philippines Marine Mobility Global Cooperation Forum held in Cebu this April, the partnership has now progressed to the selection of KOSTEC as the preferred bidder for a Philippine government project and the signing of a JVC agreement. These developments demonstrate how sustained global industry-academia cooperation has brought tangible export success within reach.

Alongside the forum, Pukyong National University is operating a joint Korea Pavilion at BEACON Expo & Conference 2026, held at the same venue from September 29 to October 1, in collaboration with KOSEC, the Korea Disaster Safety Industry Technology Research Cooperative (SAFRA), and participating companies. The pavilion showcases technologies developed by Busan-based companies to the Philippine market while facilitating business consultations with Philippine government agencies, shipyards, and potential corporate customers.

On September 30, Pukyong National University visited the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS), a university specializing in maritime education, to discuss student exchanges in naval architecture and international educational cooperation. The university also plans to pursue cooperation with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) of the Philippines in shipbuilding and maritime safety.

Pukyong National University President Sang-Hoon Bae said, “This forum is particularly meaningful because the cooperative network established among the university, local companies, the Philippine government, and industry partners has translated into tangible outcomes in the form of overseas project contracts and exports. Moving forward, we will continue to strengthen our role as a global industry-academia cooperation platform by leveraging Pukyong National University’s educational and research capabilities and global network to connect local companies with international markets and help them achieve concrete results in their overseas expansion. “