What Samsung Heavy Industries does

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is a South Korean shipbuilder and offshore engineering company, publicly traded on the Korea Stock Exchange (KOSPI) and part of the Samsung Group conglomerate. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Seongnam with its primary shipyard in Geoje, the company designs and constructs commercial vessels and offshore platforms — including LNG carriers, FLNG units, FSRUs, ethane and very large gas carriers, ultra-large container ships, and crude oil tankers — under fixed-price EPCIC contracts with global energy majors, shipping companies, and government-backed consortia. SHI is the global #1 in FLNG construction, with 4 of the world's largest FLNG vessels delivered (including Shell's Prelude) and 6 of the 10 FLNG units globally ordered to date; it also maintains a backlog of 90+ LNG carriers and employs approximately 30,000 people at Geoje.

The company's competitive position rests on a portfolio of registered proprietary technologies developed in-house: SENSE LNG (a single-component nitrogen/methane gas-expansion liquefaction process validated through 1,000+ hours of testing and awarded a Special Award at OTC Asia 2026), S-Regas floating regasification, the SVISION berthing assistance and Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) systems integrated with Orca AI's fleet-intelligence platform, and SVESSEL CBM IoT-based predictive maintenance. Its Smart Shipyard initiative integrates Digital, AI, and Robotics transformation (DX/AX/RX), anchored by the S-EDH Engineering Data Hub and the PIPE ROBOFAB facility — the shipbuilding industry's first fully automated pipe spool fabrication plant. SHI is now commercializing a new offshore-AI infrastructure line through its 50MW Floating Data Center (FDC) concept, which received dual Approval in Principle from ABS and Lloyd's Register in April 2026.

Revenue is generated primarily through milestone-based shipbuilding contracts, with each vessel individually negotiated (LNG carriers ~$250M/unit, FSRUs ~$330M, large ethane carriers $185M each, FLNG units $2.9B+). The customer base spans energy majors (Delfin Midstream, Eni-Mozambique Rovuma Venture, Pembina, Petronas, ONGC-MOL JV), leading shipowners (K Line/U-Ming, Evergreen, Capital Clean Energy Carriers, JP Morgan-linked Global Meridian Holdings), and defense clients (U.S. Navy under the MASGA initiative). Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales via trade exhibitions (Posidonia, OTC Asia, LNG 2026, DCW 2026) and senior-executive negotiations. Forward demand is supported by structural tailwinds: Korean yards hold roughly three years of backlog with rising pricing power as Chinese yards exhaust delivery slots beyond 2029, while SHI pursues new growth in U.S. naval/defense (NGLS design), India (Swan Defence partnership), the Middle East (QSTS MOU), and floating AI compute infrastructure.

Name

Samsung Heavy Industries

Legal name

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.

Website

https://samsungshi.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Samsung Heavy Industries is a South Korean shipbuilder and offshore engineering company serving global energy majors and shipping firms; it constructs LNG carriers, FLNG vessels, FSRUs, and commercial ships, and is pioneering offshore floating data centers for AI compute infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Shipbuilding

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (33661), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

LNG Carrier Shipbuilding (IMAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

FPSO/FSO Hull Construction & Conversion (IMAJACAC), LNG Shipping & Marine Transportation (LNG Carriers, Chartering) (EUALAFAC)

Keywords

• LNG carrier construction
• FLNG vessel engineering
• Offshore shipbuilding
• Autonomous ship technology
• Floating data centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. New Shipbuilding Contracts: Samsung Heavy Industries' primary revenue driver is the construction and delivery of commercial vessels. The company builds LNG carriers, FLNG vessels, FSRUs, container ships, tankers, gas carriers, and offshore platforms under fixed-price contracts with global shipping companies and energy majors. Revenue is recognized at milestone deliveries, typically 2-4 years after contract signing. Major customers include ocean shipping companies (JP Morgan, Evergreen, K Line), energy companies (Petronas, Delfin Midstream, Eni), and state-owned enterprises (ONGC-MOL JV).
2. Offshore FLNG/FSRU Construction: Construction of floating LNG production and regasification facilities, including FLNG vessels and FSRUs, under EPCIC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation, Commissioning) contracts. Key projects include the Delfin FLNG 1 (~$2.9B), Cedar FLNG for Canada, and Coral Norte FLNG for Mozambique. Revenue recognized over multi-year construction periods.
3. Ship Design and Engineering Services: Samsung Heavy Industries provides ship design services, including hull form design and concept studies, for naval and commercial programs. Notable work includes the U.S. Navy Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) concept design in partnership with GD NASSCO and DSEC, and the MASGA initiative for U.S. shipbuilding cooperation.
4. Floating Data Center (FDC) Development: Samsung Heavy Industries is developing a new revenue stream through floating data center vessels. Under the emerging model, Samsung builds the vessels and leases capacity to AI data center operators under a charter-like arrangement. Early partnerships include Capital Clean Energy Carriers, Mousterian Corporation, and Supermicro.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Samsung Heavy Industries designs, engineers, and builds commercial vessels and offshore structures at its Geoje Shipyard in South Korea, including LNG carriers, FLNG facilities, FSRUs, ethane carriers, container ships, and tankers, while developing proprietary maritime technologies such as the Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) navigation system and the SENSE LNG liquefaction process. The company also extends its shipbuilding platform to emerging floating infrastructure such as the 50 MW Floating Data Center vessel for AI workloads.

Product overview

Samsung Heavy Industries is a South Korean shipbuilding and offshore plant company offering a diverse portfolio of vessels and maritime solutions. Its core products include LNG carriers (membrane-type with GTT technology), FLNG facilities (Coral Norte, Cedar, Delfin), floating data centers (50MW FDC), ethane carriers, VLGCs, container ships, and crude oil carriers. The company provides shipbuilding, offshore plant construction, and engineering services through its Geoje shipyard and Daejeon R&D center. Its technology portfolio includes the Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) system for autonomous navigation, SENSE LNG liquefaction technology, SVESSEL CBM predictive maintenance, and the PIPE ROBOFAB automated pipe fabrication facility. The company is also developing floating data centers as a new business line and operates Smart Yard Solutions (3X: DX, AX, RX) for digital transformation of shipyard operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SENSE LNG: Proprietary natural gas liquefaction system developed in 2017, with enhanced version SENSE LNG featuring gas expansion process with single-component refrigerants for improved operational convenience and safety
• S-Regas
• PIPE ROBOFAB
• S-EDH
• Smart Shipyard
• Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS)
• SVISION

Products and services

• LNG Carrier

Quantifiable outcome

• World's first simultaneous construction of 3 FLNG units at a single shipyard
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026KEPCO participated in the U.S.-Korea Energy Business Forum in Washington alongside Samsung Heavy Industries, KEPCO, KHNP, LG Energy Solution, and Doosan Enerbility. The forum deepened bilateral cooperation between Korean energy companies and U.S. counterparts including JP Morgan, ExxonMobil, GE Vernova, and NextEra Energy.
• Black & VeatchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Black & Veatch serves as the technology partner for Samsung Heavy Industries' Delfin FLNG 1 project, providing PRICO liquefaction technology with Siemens Energy turbine packages. Black & Veatch's Project Director Brett Baker attended the FID signing ceremony. Black & Veatch is also involved in the Cedar FLNG project.
• JGCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Samsung Heavy Industries is partnered with JGC France and Technip Energies for the Coral Norte FLNG project offshore Mozambique. Samsung handles shipbuilding while JGC provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. The contract represents over €1 billion in aggregate revenue for the consortium, with JGC Group's share exceeding $1 billion.
• Technip EnergiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Technip Energies, in partnership with JGC and Samsung Heavy Industries, was awarded an EPCIC contract for Mozambique Rovuma Venture's Coral Norte FLNG project. The project will produce approximately 3.6 Mtpa of LNG, doubling the Coral hub's capacity to 7 Mtpa. The contract qualifies as a 'major' contract for Technip Energies.
• Lloyd's RegistercoreTechnology or Integration · 2 June 2026Lloyd's Register provides rule-making, regulatory certification, and advisory services for Samsung Heavy Industries' floating data center projects. At Posidonia 2026, LR granted AiP for Samsung's 50MW FDC concept. LR Advisory also signed an MOU for North American data center market analysis and commercial feasibility studies.
• Capital Clean Energy CarrierscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Samsung Heavy Industries signed a three-party MoU with Capital Clean Energy Carriers (Greek shipowner) and Lloyd's Register at Posidonia 2026 for FDC project development, regulatory certification, and site origination. Capital finances the vessels under a charter-like model while Samsung provides design and construction technology.
• SuperMicro (Supermicro)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and SuperMicro signed a Joint Development Agreement at COMPUTEX Taipei 2026 to test AI server reliability in marine environments for floating data center applications. Samsung develops offshore positioning control and salt/humidity blocking technologies while SuperMicro conducts operational verification of AI server infrastructure.
• Petronas Gas / MISCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026MISC was awarded a 20-year charter from Petronas Gas for an FSRU to serve Malaysia's third LNG import terminal in Lumut, Perak. Samsung Heavy Industries is constructing the FSRU vessel (~170,000 m³ capacity) for approximately $330 million, with delivery by February 2029. This marks MISC's debut in the FSRU sector.
• Orca AIcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 April 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and Orca AI signed an MoU to develop and scale next-generation autonomous vessel technologies. The partnership combines Samsung's SVISION berthing assistance and autonomous speed control solutions with Orca AI's AI-powered maritime operations platform, currently serving over 1,200 deployed vessels with 500+ in the pipeline.
• Mousterian Corporation (M3)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and Mousterian Corporation signed an MOU to develop and deliver floating data center projects worldwide. M3 leads development, site origination, tenant sourcing, and project delivery while Samsung Heavy Industries contributes engineering, fabrication, and maritime delivery capabilities at scale. M3 plans to build a 500MW facility in Houston and an 860MW project near San Jose, California.
• Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Samsung Heavy Industries formalized a partnership with Swan Defence and Heavy Industries during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's visit to India (the first Korean leader visit in eight years). The collaboration targets building complex commercial vessels including medium-range product tankers and very large gas carriers at SDHI's Pipavav yard in Gujarat, India.
• General Dynamics NASSCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Samsung Heavy Industries supports concept design for the U.S. Navy's Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) program in collaboration with General Dynamics NASSCO and DSEC through March 2027. Samsung focuses on hull form design using its 400-meter towing tank at the Daejeon research center. The cooperation extends to AI-based production automation and robotics for U.S. shipbuilding revitalization.
• DSECminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026DSEC participates with Samsung Heavy Industries and GD NASSCO on the NGLS concept design program. DSEC contributes to the next-generation logistics ship design collaboration.
• HD Hyundai Heavy IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries are part of the $150 billion Korea-U.S. shipbuilding investment alliance alongside Hanwha Ocean, coordinated by Korea Eximbank and other state lenders. Both companies are participating in the MASGA initiative to expand Korean shipbuilding presence in the U.S. market.
• Hanwha OceancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean are joint signatories to the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding investment MOU alongside HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and five state-backed lenders, supporting the $150 billion U.S. shipbuilding investment initiative.
• San Diego State University (SDSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and SDSU established the SHI-SDSU Advanced Maritime Center (SSAM) in San Diego as Samsung's first U.S. maritime research hub. The center focuses on AI-based production automation, robotics, and eco-friendly vessel design, supporting the MASGA initiative for U.S. shipbuilding cooperation.
• Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions (QSTS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and Qatar's state-owned shipyard QSTS (a subsidiary of Nakilat) signed an MOU at LNG 2026 in Doha for ship conversion and aftermarket services cooperation. The partnership focuses on decarbonization solutions, energy efficiency improvements, onboard carbon capture equipment, and digital technologies for eco-friendly ship conversions in the Middle East market.
• Evergreen MarineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2026Samsung Heavy Industries and Evergreen Marine formed a first-of-its-kind partnership launching the Samsung Remote Operation Center at Evergreen's headquarters in Taipei. An autonomous navigation trial was conducted with a 15,000-TEU container ship covering 10,000 km from Oakland to Kaohsiung, validating smart-ship capabilities including real-time monitoring and remote troubleshooting.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Golar LNG: Golar LNG is a Bermuda-based FLNG operator and LNG midstream company that pioneered floating LNG liquefaction (Hilli Episeyo) and could vertically integrate into FLNG newbuild. Golar is both a potential Samsung customer in FLNG vessel construction and an emerging competitor in the FLNG project development space.

Direct peers

• McDermott International: McDermott International is a US-based offshore EPC contractor with significant FLNG, FPSO, and subsea engineering capabilities. McDermott competes with Samsung Heavy Industries for FLNG and offshore platform EPCIC contracts, particularly in the Americas and Africa regions, and is a potential consortium partner or competitor on major FLNG tenders.
• Technip Energies: Technip Energies is a major FLNG and LNG EPC contractor that is both a partner (Coral Norte FLNG consortium) and a competitor to Samsung Heavy Industries in floating LNG project development. Technip Energies provides liquefaction technology and EPC services competing for the same FLNG project pipeline that Samsung serves as builder.
• Seatrium (formerly Keppel Offshore & Marine + Sembcorp Marine): Seatrium is a Singapore-based offshore engineering and shipbuilding company formed from the merger of Keppel O&M and Sembcorp Marine. Seatrium directly competes with Samsung Heavy Industries in offshore engineering, FLNG/FPSO construction, and rig and vessel conversions, serving similar international energy customers.
• Hanwha Ocean: Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering/DSME) is the third member of Korea's Big Three shipbuilders. Hanwha Ocean competes directly with Samsung in LNG carriers, VLCCs, container ships, and offshore platforms, and is also a signatory to the $150B Korea-US shipbuilding investment MOU.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a major Japanese shipbuilder with a leading global position in large LNG carriers (including Moss-type and membrane-type containment systems). Kawasaki directly competes with Samsung in LNG carrier newbuild orders and serves similar global energy and shipping customers.
• Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding: Mitsui E&S is a major Japanese shipbuilder with overlapping product lines in LNG carriers, naval vessels, and specialized commercial ships. Mitsui has historically partnered with Samsung on FLNG and offshore projects and competes in the same global shipowner customer base, particularly in Japan and Asia-Pacific markets.
• Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding: Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding is China's largest LNG carrier builder and a wholly-owned subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Hudong-Zhonghua directly competes with Samsung Heavy Industries in LNG carrier construction and offers vessels at approximately 8% below Korean pricing, representing the primary Chinese competitive threat.
• HD Hyundai Heavy Industries: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is Samsung Heavy Industries' closest direct competitor and fellow member of Korea's Big Three shipbuilders. Both companies compete head-to-head in LNG carriers, FLNG vessels, FSRUs, container ships, and offshore platforms, and jointly participate in the MASGA $150B US shipbuilding investment initiative with Korea Eximbank backing.
• Jiangnan Shipyard Group: Jiangnan Shipyard Group is another major Chinese shipbuilder (also under CSSC) with large-scale LNG carrier and VLGC capacity. Jiangnan competes directly with Samsung Heavy Industries in LNG carrier and very large gas carrier newbuild orders and is part of China's broader state-backed shipbuilding expansion strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/samsungshi
• Facebookfacebook.com/samsungshi
• LinkedInkr.linkedin.com/company/samsungshi
• Xx.com/samsungshi

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Samsung Heavy Industries