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Busan Metropolitan City to Host the “2026 MacNet First Strategic Seminar” to Discuss Eco-Friendly Technologies Based on Marine SMRs

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Busan Metropolitan City, under Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, announced that it will host the “2026 MacNet First Strategic Seminar” on marine Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology at 2:00 p.m. on May 20 in the Grand Ballroom of ASTI Hotel Busan in Dong-gu.

MacNet stands for Maritime Cluster Networking in Korea.

The seminar is sponsored by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Busan Metropolitan City, supported by the Korean Register (KR), and organized by the Maritime Industry Cluster Association (MacNet), chaired by Lee Young-seok.

The Maritime Industry Cluster Association is a non-profit organization established in 2015 by 52 related organizations from the shipbuilding, shipping, port, equipment, classification, and finance sectors to foster a mutually cooperative maritime industry ecosystem for shared growth.

The first strategic seminar has been organized to discuss development trends and commercialization strategies for marine SMR technology, which is drawing attention as a next-generation eco-friendly ship technology amid strengthening decarbonization regulations in the global shipping industry.

Representatives from major domestic shipbuilders, nuclear research institutes, and the Korean Register will participate in the seminar to discuss the design and safety of nuclear-powered ships as well as strategies for responding to international regulations.

Recently, the international shipping industry has increasingly recognized marine SMR-powered vessels, which produce no carbon emissions and offer high energy efficiency, as a long-term solution in response to stronger carbon neutrality regulations.

Accordingly, Korea’s shipbuilding industry is accelerating efforts to secure related technologies, including HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering’s development of a 15,000-TEU SMR-powered container ship design model and Samsung Heavy Industries’ development of an LNG carrier based on a Molten Salt Reactor (MSR).

The seminar will consist of three sessions and will comprehensively address the development status and commercialization challenges of marine nuclear technology.

In Session 1, under the theme “Future Technologies and Institutional Preparedness for Marine Nuclear Energy,” Lee Je-kyung, Team Leader at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and Kim Jong-won, Group Leader at Samsung Heavy Industries, will present key design requirements for marine reactors.

In Session 2, under the theme “Current Status of Marine Molten Salt Reactor Technology and Strategies for Realizing Nuclear-Powered Ships,” Lee Dong-hyung, Director at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, will introduce the current status of the MARINA marine molten salt reactor development project, while Lee Sang-ik, General Manager at the Korean Register, will present challenges and response strategies for nuclear-powered ships.

In the comprehensive discussion session of Session 3, Song Kang-hyun, Head of the Eco-Friendly Ship Marine Research Institute at the Korean Register, will serve as moderator. Officials from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, representatives from HMM, and keynote speakers will participate in discussions on ensuring port entry and departure safety for the commercialization of marine SMRs, as well as measures to improve the regulatory frameworks of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The seminar is recruiting on-site participants through online pre-registration at liveinsight.kr/macnet/2026/smr and will also be livestreamed on the official MacNet YouTube channel on the day of the event.

Citizens, industry professionals, and experts alike may participate both online and offline.

Cho Young-tae, Director General of the Oceans and Fisheries Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “Marine SMRs are a next-generation technology capable of driving a paradigm shift in the shipbuilding and shipping industries to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.” He added, “Busan Metropolitan City will actively support the development of an eco-friendly advanced maritime technology ecosystem through cooperation among industry, government, and research institutions, and will lead international regulatory discussions so that Busan can emerge as a global hub for eco-friendly ship transformation.”