Marking its eighth anniversary this year, VIETSHIP is the largest international exhibition in Vietnam and is hosted by the Ship Building Industry Corporation (SBIC). Approximately 130 shipbuilding companies and equipment suppliers from around the world, including POSCO (South Korea) and DAMEN (Netherland), participated in the exhibition.

Attended by major government and corporate officials including Nguyen Van Cong, Vice Minister of Transportation of Vietnam, and Nguyen Ngoc Su, Chairman of SBIC, the exhibition started with an opening ceremony followed by various events such as a forum for buyers.

POSCO’s Unique Energy and Shipbuilding Technology Attracts Vietnamese Interests

On February 24, the opening day of VIETSHIP 2016, Youngho Choi, Sales Manager of POSCO Vietnam Holdings, talks business with a representative of the Dung Quat shipbuilding company during the buyers’ forum.

 During the buyer’s forum, POSCO Vietnam Holdings introduced POSCO’s steel plate for shipbuilding and POSCO SS VINA’s shape steel products to buyers from 12 major Vietnamese shipbuilding companies.

They were especially impressed with the fact that shape steel, which is highly dependent on imports, can be supplied within Vietnam. Many buyers inquired about POSCO SS VINA’s product supply and new product development plans.

On the following day, a conference was held under the theme “Outlook for the Shipbuilding Market in Vietnam.” Jongkyo Choi, Group Leader of the Energy and Shipbuilding Materials Marketing Department of POSCO, captured the audience’s attention when introducing the company’s unique customer-oriented marketing strategies for the shipbuilding industry, such as welding technology for high strength steel and low temperature steel.

VIETSHIP provided a chance for POSCO to raise company awareness and discover new business opportunities, as over 200 buyers visited the company’s booth, showing great interest in POSCO SS VINA’s shape steel products.

Customers at the POSCO booth admire POSCO SS VINA’s shape steel products.

“We had no previous knowledge about POSCO SS VINA, so the exhibition provided a good opportunity to learn about its shape steel products,” said Thanh Xuan of Ha Long Shipbuilding Company.

POSCO Vietnam Holdings will strive to become not only a supplier of materials, but also a business partner that enables customer success through Solution Marketing.

About POSCO SS VINA

POSCO SS VINA began operations in June 2015. It currently produces high-quality steel reinforcement products, and is the only manufacturer of large- and medium-sized shape steel. The plant is located in Vung Tau—a region with a large demand for steel—as well as Ho Chi Minh, the country’s economic hub.

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Yet, the quality standards for advanced steel used for drilling, producing, transporting, conserving and handling energy resources for oil and gas are becoming stricter so that steel can better endure the harsh drilling environments of the deep sea and polar areas, two domains on the radars of oil exploration geologists.

At this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the world’s largest marine technology exhibition, which was held from May 4 to 7 in Houston, Texas, POSCO showcased its efforts on such developments. Included were its lineup of high-grade steel products, as well as the firm’s cross-department collaboration system between steel plants, laboratories and marketing departments, among others, to improve the development of functional, advanced steel.

Considered the leading forum for gathering and sharing offshore oil and gas information (as well as unveiling some impressive machinery), the goal of the conference, according to its website, is to “advance scientific and technical knowledge for the safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable development of offshore oil and gas resources.”

Despite recent low oil prices, the 2015 OTC attracted over 94,000 attendees, making it the sixth largest in its 47-year history. Additionally, approximately 2,700 major oil and global EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) companies from 37 countries participated.

Among these, POSCO represented South Korea, aiming to continue its solution marketing activities for advanced steel for energy, production and technology, as well as steel utilization techniques.

Introducing a variety of the company’s products and technologies, POSCO’s exhibition consisted of four zones: energy plants, energy pipes, shipbuilding, and manganese steel sectors. At the booth, a video on steel-making technology was presented to help attendees better understand steel products.

POSCO displayed its strength as a “total solution provider,” which has helped the firm to simultaneously strengthen its position in the steel market and discover new business opportunities.

Since it first participated in the OTC in 2008, POSCO has operated a booth annually as part of its demand development activities, which have led to the company’s increasing development of energy steel in a short period of time. Moreover, POSCO’s progressive product promotion and supplier certification activities have resulted in a successful long-term contract for the blanket supply of energy steel, and have solidified technical cooperation with clients.

As new advancements are made in offshore drilling technology, the utilization of steel in the industry will also evolve. POSCO will continue to adapt to such changes, and will work hard to manufacture sustainable, quality products to meet the demands of its clients.