Vigor Marine Group and Samsung Heavy Industries have signed a Joint Development Agreement to establish an advanced maritime training center in the Pacific Northwest. Announced at the U.S.-Korea Shipbuilding Partnership Center launch, the initiative aims to tackle industry workforce challenges and integrate next-generation technologies.
Washington, D.C. | July 23, 2026 – Vigor Marine Group (VMG) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have officially signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to pursue the creation of an advanced maritime trades training center in the Pacific Northwest.
The announcement was made during the official launch of the U.S.-Korea Shipbuilding Partnership Center in Washington, D.C. The agreement outlines a collaborative roadmap for the establishment, infrastructure development, curriculum design, innovative technology integration, and marketing of the new facility, bolstering the U.S. maritime industrial base and national defense readiness.
Strengthening the U.S. Maritime Workforce and Technology
With the maritime sector facing persistent labor and skills gaps, the partnership pairs VMG’s strong national footprint in ship maintenance and modernization with SHI’s status as one of the world’s most technologically advanced shipbuilders.
Francesco Valente, CEO of Vigor Marine Group, highlighted the strategic importance of the collaboration “Today’s announcement represents an important evolution in our growing relationship with Samsung Heavy Industries, one of the world’s leading and most technologically advanced shipbuilders. Workforce remains one of the key challenges our industry faces, and partnering with SHI both supports more pathways into maritime trades and adds the important layer of new technology. Our industry is ever changing, and expertise in newer technologies will enable us to make our work safer and find efficiencies that help us better support our customer’s mission.”
Throughout the first half of 2026, VMG and SHI have collaborated on foundational concepts for the facility, evaluating potential locations, determining target trades for launch, and identifying key educational partners to oversee instruction. The newly minted JDA paves the way to finalize these details in the coming weeks.
Building on a Legacy of Industry Training
Vigor Marine Group brings an established history of supporting maritime education through partnerships with institutions like Portland Community College, South Seattle College, and the Virginia Ship Repair Association. As a premier prime contractor for the U.S. Navy, Army, Coast Guard, and commercial sectors, VMG views the training center as vital to securing a sustainable long-term workforce pipeline equipped for next-generation technologies.
About Samsung Heavy Industries
Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), a core subsidiary of the Samsung Group, stands as one of the world’s leading shipbuilders. Established in 1974, the company has consistently pushed the boundaries of engineering and construction, solidifying its position as a top shipbuilder in South Korea. The company’s expertise lies in the engineering, procurement, construction, and delivery of a wide range of vessels and offshore facilities. SHI is particularly recognized for its capabilities in building highly technical, high-value-added ships, including LNG carriers, container ships, FPSOs, and FLNGs.
SHI is a key industry innovator with a history of developing and building “world’s first” products, such as the Arctic shuttle tanker and FLNG, which have opened up new markets. Amid intensified global efforts to address environmental issues and navigate the transition to the future ship era driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Samsung Heavy Industries is leading the future of the shipbuilding and offshore industry by applying ICT to implement a Digital Shipyard and focusing on advanced ship technologies, including autonomous vessels and low- and zero-carbon fuel-powered ships.
About Vigor Marine Group
Vigor Marine Group is a values-driven, established, and differentiated solutions provider with a national footprint in marine maintenance and modernization, marine fabrication, and marine services. With operations across five locations, the family of companies employs approximately 2,700 people in the Pacific Northwest, Virginia, and California. Vigor Marine Group’s spirit of innovation and legacy of performance make it a preferred, full-service prime contractor in the defense and maritime sectors, offering advanced services and complete solutions for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Military Sealift Command, U.S. Coast Guard, state ferry systems, the cruise industry, the commercial fishing industry, and more. Vigor Marine Group strives to be a positive, regenerative force for good in the lives of its employees and in the community.
Source: Vigor Marine Group