Saronic Technologies, Austin, Texas, and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), Seongnam, South Korea, have formed a strategic partnership focused on autonomous vessel development, shipyard production technology and U.S. shipbuilding capacity, the companies announced July 23.
The partnership will explore the development and production of autonomy-capable vessels for government and commercial customers, as well as the use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in shipbuilding. The companies also plan to collaborate on production infrastructure, including robotics-based process automation at Saronic’s U.S. shipyards.
Saronic will contribute its autonomous vessel technology and manufacturing capabilities, while South Korea-based SHI will bring its experience in large-scale commercial shipbuilding, vessel design and production automation.
The companies announced the agreement during the launch of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) in Washington, D.C. The new organization is intended to expand shipbuilding cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce and South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
“Rebuilding America’s maritime strength requires both world-class technology and the industrial muscle to produce it at scale here at home,” said Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and CEO of Saronic. “We are proud to partner with SHI, bringing together Saronic’s maritime autonomy and next-generation manufacturing with Samsung’s storied shipbuilding and technology pedigree. Together, we will focus on accelerating the reindustrialization of American shipbuilding, training the workforce of the future, and delivering differentiated, autonomy-capable vessels for both government and commercial applications.”
“We are pleased to establish this partnership with Saronic,” said Sung An Choi, vice chairman and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries. “By combining Saronic’s expertise in maritime autonomy with our expertise in shipbuilding, including production automation, we look forward to working together to create a more competitive future.”
The agreement comes as Saronic expands its U.S. shipbuilding operations. The company recently selected Brownsville, Texas, as the site of Port Alpha, a planned shipyard representing more than $3 billion in investment. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with operations targeted for 2028.
Saronic has said Port Alpha will be designed to build both crewed and uncrewed vessels for defense and commercial markets, with potential commercial applications including containerships, roll-on/roll-off vessels, tankers and icebreakers.
The company is also investing an additional $300 million to expand its shipyard in Franklin, La. Saronic acquired the Franklin facility in 2025 as part of its effort to increase production of larger autonomous vessels.
The SHI partnership will support those expansion efforts through cooperation on shipbuilding technology, production automation and workforce development as Saronic builds out its U.S. manufacturing capacity.
