SB Sunbo Targets Global Market with Eco-friendly Ship Technology… Expanding Direct Exports through KOTRA GP Program

SB Sunbo, a key equipment manufacturer in the Republic of Korea's shipbuilding industry, is expanding its direct exports to overseas markets based on its eco-friendly ship technology. According to a video from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's YouTube channel 'Kim Yong-myeong's Tomorrow's Export King', SB Sunbo is expanding its presence in the global market by highlighting its core competitiveness: integrated engineering capabilities that cover the entire process from design and procurement to manufacturing and commissioning.

From Design to Endoscopic Inspection… Competitiveness Created by Integrated Engineering

SB Sunbo's main product is the 'Tank top' unit, which integrates piping and equipment in a ship's engine room into a modular system. In particular, to respond to increasingly stringent global eco-friendly regulations, the company is focusing on building systems required for the eco-friendly energy transition, such as systems that capture carbon generated from ships. It is explained that the company has secured technology that reduces the cost burden on shipowners caused by carbon emissions.

These products are manufactured through the engineering process at SB Sunbo's design center. The video cited 'the integration of engineering and manufacturing' as SB Sunbo's competitive edge. Unlike typical companies that conduct design and manufacturing separately, SB Sunbo directly determines product layout and equipment configuration from the design stage, and after manufacturing, undergoes a process of precisely checking the cleanliness and presence of defects inside the pipes through endoscopic inspection.

Transitioning from 'Indirect Export' to 'Direct Export' through KOTRA GP Program

While SB Sunbo previously had a high proportion of indirect exports, it has been increasing its proportion of direct exports by being selected as a 'World Class 300' company and utilizing support programs from KOTRA. In particular, KOTRA's 'Global Partnering (GP) program' plays a role in directly connecting the technical needs of buyers, which are identified in advance by overseas trade offices, with the products of domestic companies.

An official from SB Sunbo's sales department stated, "Through KOTRA's global support programs for mid-sized enterprises and the GP program, we were able to expand our touchpoints with leading overseas customers," and added, "This provided an opportunity to directly export our products and services abroad." The GP program is operated diversely by industry and region, and companies can apply through the KOTRA website. However, the GP program proceeds by selecting participating companies by considering the pre-secured buyer demand and the suitability of technology and products.

Responding to Eco-friendly Ship Trends… Proactively Identifying Shipowner Needs is Key

The current hot topic in the shipbuilding industry is 'eco-friendly ships' that zero out or offset carbon emissions. Accordingly, demand for LNG fuel supply systems and regasification systems is surging. In line with this trend, SB Sunbo is exporting LNG-related systems and is adopting a strategy of providing technical solutions beyond simply supplying products.

SB Sunbo emphasized that it is important to directly target not only overseas shipyards but also the 'shipowners', who are the actual entities placing orders. The method involves meeting shipowners first through overseas exhibitions or GP programs to identify technical requirements for eco-friendly fuel systems, completing technical consultations before the shipowner places an order, and then participating in shipyard bidding.

A company official advised that as know-how to increase export competitiveness, "Rather than simply focusing on making products, one must develop the fundamental design capability to design the products." Based on this design capability, SB Sunbo continues to grow by providing technical solutions to its customers.