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Marine SMR Development Seminar 2026 to Help Busan Metropolitan City Secure a Leading Position in the Future Marine SMR Market

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it will hold the "2026 Busan Metropolitan City Marine Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Development Seminar" today (June 30) at 2:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of ASTI Hotel Busan in Dong-gu.

The seminar is jointly organized by Busan Metropolitan City and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, with approximately 100 participants from organizations including the Korea Nuclear Partners Co., Ltd. (KNP), the Korean Register (KR), the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO), the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST).

Marine Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) refer to reactor technologies used for applications including floating nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered vessels.

The seminar has been organized under the theme "Next-Generation Nuclear Industry Strategies for the Arctic Shipping Route and the AI Era." It aims to introduce and discuss the global landscape and industrial strategies for marine SMRs with regional companies, universities, and related organizations in the nuclear power, shipbuilding, and maritime industries.

The program will consist of keynote presentations followed by a panel discussion, covering a broad range of topics including global trends, international regulations, and industrial strategies related to marine SMRs.

The presentations will include:

• ●"Global Trends in Marine Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Strategies for Transforming Korea's Domestic Supply Chain into an Export-Oriented Ecosystem," presented by Lee Jae-gyu, Senior Technical Advisor at the Korea Nuclear Partners Co., Ltd. (KNP)

• ●"Global Regulatory Trends and Industrial Strategies for Marine Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)," presented by Lee Sang-ik, General Manager at the Korean Register (KR)

• ●"Design Characteristics of Marine Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Workforce Development Strategies," presented by Baek Bu-geun, Principal Researcher at the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO)

The panel discussion will follow, moderated by Professor Kim Jong-do of the Korea Maritime and Ocean University. Panelists will include Lee Dong-hyung, Director at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Professor Bang In-cheol of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), and the three presenters. The discussion will focus on industrial strategies and workforce development for marine SMRs.

Recently, marine SMRs—including floating Small Modular Reactors and SMR-powered vessels—have attracted growing attention due to rapidly increasing electricity demand driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, as well as carbon emission regulations introduced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Building on this seminar, Busan Metropolitan City plans to host related seminars and forums every year to secure a leading position in the future marine SMR market.

Kim Ki-hwan, Assistant Mayor of Citizen Safety Office, said, "Marine Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are a next-generation technology that will lead the era of artificial intelligence and Arctic shipping routes. We will continue to strengthen the collaborative framework among the public, private, and academic sectors and foster the related industrial ecosystem so that Busan can secure a leading position in the marine SMR market."