Dr. Keyyong Hong is a leading researcher in ocean engineering currently serving as the President of the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO). He also holds the positions of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Korea Maritime Cooperation Center (KMC) and Vice Chairman of the Korea Offshore Service Industry Association (KOSIA). He received bachelor's and master's degrees in naval architecture from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in ocean engineering from Texas A&M University. He joined KRISO in 1994 and has since dedicated his career to researching wave mechanics and innovative ocean energy harvesting technologies. He has held a number of key positions at KRISO, including Director of the Offshore Plant Research Division and Vice President. Dr. Hong's contributions extend beyond KRISO. He was Secretary-General of the Korean Association of Ocean Science and Technology Societies (KAOSTS) and President of the Korean Society for Marine Environment and Energy (KOSMEE). Demonstrating his commitment to international collaboration, Dr. Hong served as Chairman of the the East Asian Network for Marine Environment and Energy (EAMEN) and Vice Chairman of the IEA-OES Executive Committee.
Research Fellow Hwang Jin-hoi served as a researcher,senior researcher, team leader of Inter-Korean maritime cooperation team, headof Arctic Ocean Research Department and Shipping Policy Research Department,and General Manager of the Maritime Research Division. His major researchfields include cruise, shipping and logistics, inter-Korean cooperation, andthe Arctic Ocean.
Dr. Hwang's main research interest is the sustainabledevelopment of the Korean marine industry. In particular, he is researchingways to develop the shipping, shipbuilding, and cruise industries, which arecontributing greatly to regional economic development and job creation.
Education
• Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Mar. 2004 - Feb. 2009
- Final Thesis : Numerical Study on Characteristics of Non-premixed Methane Flames in Twin-jet Counterflow
• M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Mar. 2001 - Feb. 2003
Professional Experience
• Director/Team Leader
- Korean Register, Green Ship Test & Certification Center, Busan, South Korea
- Feb. 2013 – Mar. 2023
- R&D and center operations
• Team Leader
- Korean Register, Green Ship Test & Certification Center, Busan, South Korea
• Jan. 2013 – Sep. 2015
• Senior Researcher
- Korean Register, Busan, South Korea
- Feb. 2009 – Dec. 2012
Affiliations
• Expert Member, Energy and Industrial Transition Subcommittee r
- Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, Republic of Korea
- Dec. 2023 - Present
• Expert Member, Industrial Technology Protection Committee
- Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Republic of Korea
- Nov. 2023 - Present
• Non-Executive Director, Steering Committee
- Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion (KIMST)
- Nov. 2023 - Present
Awards
• Minister’s Commendation, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea(2018)
- Recognized as an outstanding national R&D researcher (Principal Investigator of research projects)
• Best R&D Project Awards, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea (2020)
- “Establishment of Eco-friendly Ship TCS System”
• Contributed to enhancing domestic eco-friendly ship technology in response to IMO environmental regulations.
• Established Green Ship Equipment Testing & Certification Center (performance evaluation of ship engines and eco-friendly ship equipment).
• Developed evaluation guidelines and technical standards for eco-friendly ship technologies.
• Built the TCS system for testing, certification, and standardization of eco-friendly ship technologies.
• Minister’s Commendation, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Republic of Korea (2024)
- Awarded for outstanding contributions to regulatory free zones (individual award)
• Minister’s Commendation, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea (2024)
- Awarded for contributions to the development of the shipbuilding and marine industry (individual award)
[Education]
• 2001: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University
• 2003: M.S. in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University
• 2019: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
[Career Experience]
• Jan. 2003: Joined Hyundai Heavy Industries
• Jan. 2003 – Jul. 2011: Researcher in Energy, Engines, and Fuel Cells
• Aug. 2011 – Jul. 2012: Researcher at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), specializing in Offshore Plant Engineering
• Aug. 2012 – Oct. 2021: Researcher at the Process Design & Safety Laboratory
• Nov. 2021 – Nov. 2023: Research Director, Ship & Offshore CCUS, Energy Research Lab
• Dec. 2023 – Present: Head of Green Energy Research Division Research Center
• Feb. 2024 – Present: NEMO(Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization) Board Member
• Aug. 2024 – Present: Member of the Planning Committee for the IAEA ATLAS (Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea)
[Research Areas]
• Eco-Friendly Ship, Offshore Plant Processes and Safety, LNG & FSRU
• Ammonia Fueled Ship, Fuel cell, and Carbon Capture Utilization & Storage(CCUS)
• Technologies Utilizing Small Modular Reactors(SMR)
[Honors & Awards]
• 2017: Top 10 Mechanical Engineering Technologies of the Year
• 2019: 61st Korea Engineer Award (Minister of Science and ICT Award)
- MarineEngineering University Degree
- SevenYears of Experience as Marine Engineer Onboard
- 11years in ABS, in 4 different USA ports, Houston corporate, and ABS Korea
- Experienced MarineClassification Senior Surveyor and Auditor with Extensive Experience Workingwith Government Entities (US Navy Ships) and Commercial Vessels
Dr. Kanghyun Song is a Senior Vice President and the Head of the Decarbonization R&D Center at Korean Register (KR), which is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) and ranks 7th globally among classification societies. At the Decarbonization R&D Center, Dr. Song leads various technical initiatives to support shipowners in complying with decarbonization regulations from the IMO and EU, including greenhouse gas verification, the development of engine and fuel supply systems, liquefied hydrogen carriers, and research on small modular reactors (SMRs).
Dr. Song began his career in 1996 as a naval technical officer, working on submarine design. After joining KR, he contributed to ship motion analysis, structural analysis, offshore structure evaluation, and the development of classification rules. Currently, he leads projects focused on supporting shipping companies with decarbonization strategies, including the implementation of energy-saving devices (ESDs), operational profile analysis, and regulatory compliance planning.
In recent years, Dr. Song has been actively involved in green shipping corridor initiatives in collaboration with the Korean government, establishing partnerships between Korea and the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Asia. He serves as a board member of both the Society of Naval Architects of Korea and the Korean Society of Marine Engineering, and previously represented Korea at the IMO and served on the IACS Safe Decarbonization Panel.
Trond Johnsen is Chief Market Developer in SINTEF Ocean and Director of the Norwegian R&D-centre for green shipping; FME MarTrans. He graduated M.Sc. in 2006 from Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU), specializing within Industrial Economics and Maritime Logistics. Since then, he has worked with maritime research and innovation in various positions, the previous decade heading the SINTEF Ocean department for Maritime Transport. As Director of FME MarTrans, he has been engaged in national and international strategic research agendas for the maritime sector, and is today seated at the board of WATERBORNE – EU’s technology platform for maritime R&D.
Pat Han with a MSc. in Chemical Engineering from DTU in 1999 and has been employed by Haldor Topsøe for 17 years in total. Starting as process engineer and continued as ammonia technology supervisor until 2012. From 2017-2021 had a role as R&D Director for technology development of ammonia and methanol technology especially within green and dynamic ammonia synthesis.2012-2016 worked for GPN/Borealis supporting the production of ammonia.Joined Skovgaard Energy in autumn 2021 for the realization of the world’s first dynamic green ammonia plant powered directly by wind and PV power.
Pat Han holds many patents within ammonia technology and ammonia/methanol co-production.
Dr. Woo-Seong Shim is a principal researcher and Unit Head of maritimedigital application unit in the Korea Research Institute of Ships & OceanEngineering, Republic of Korea. He received his MSc and PhD from the School ofElectronic Engineering, Chung-Nam National University, Daejeon, Republic ofKorea, in 1997 and 2017, respectively. In his 27-year career, he has focused ondeveloping maritime ICT systems, including ECDIS with ENC development, AIS,National DGPS and communication infrastructure. From 2005 to 2011, he was atechnical surveyor of ship electrical engineering at Korean Register. He wasthe project manager of LTE-Maritime, which developed the world's firsthigh-speed maritime communication based on LTE technology on the coastal watersof Korea within 100km. He is developing the Maritime Mobile Service to providethe communication channels needed for maritime use cases such as e-Navigationimplementation and the ship-to-ship channel of the Maritime Autonomous SurfaceShip. This is part of an ongoing research project that will result in acritical solution for robust communication in maritime autonomy: thedevelopment of VDES ship and shore terminals, and S2X(Ship to Everything)communication.
Suresh is anelectrical engineer with executive diploma in business management from IMD with36 years of work experience in sales, marketing, product management, strategicbusiness development working closely with R&D to realize the ideal productportfolio for the market. Currently works for DEIF A/s a company specialized inenergy controls for land and marine applications. DEIF is a family ownedcompany established in 1933 has 90+ years of experience providing reliable,high quality advanced control systems.
Over theyears the company has expanded to provide PLCs and more recently announced thesilicon carbide technology based power converters.
DEIF goal is to provideintegrated control and power conversion for the marine industry to help themtransition from fossil fuels to new energy sources like fuel cells, electricpropulsion, including battery storage.
Current position: Professor and Head of the Marine Engineering Department at Klaipėda University, and Institutional Coordinator of the European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability, comprising nine universities in different EU Member States.
Education: Doctor of Technology Sciences in Transport Engineering. Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania, 2000.
Prior to doctoral studies, I was a technologist and surveyor at a Trawl Fleet Repair Base, as well as a college teacher.
I have been involved in university management since the beginning of my academic career: five years as vice-dean, fourteen years as a faculty dean, thirteen years as a member of the Senate and five years as a member of the University Council.
Professional training: International Welding Engineer. IIW Authorised Training Body for Germany (DVS PERSZERT), 2007. International Welding Inspector, comprehensive level. IIW Authorised Training Body for Germany (DVS PERSZERT), 2012.
Project activities: Project manager, coordinator and senior researcher on 21 international (LdV, Erasmus, Erasmus+, FP6, FP7, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe) and national educational and R&D projects.
Research interests: ship decarbonisation, ship hydromechanics, shipbuilding and ship repair technologies, and welding quality assurance.
Kang-Ki Leeholds an PhD in Maritime Energy Management from World Maritime University inMalmo Sweden, focusing on maritime energy management and how to mitigate GHGemissions from shipping. His research interests are GHG emissions, energystrategy and alternative fuels in maritime transportation.
He addedmanagement skill through executive management courses of MAN Group with WHU andOxford University (2007-2010) after Industrial Management from Seoul NationalUniversity (2007) Korea.
He worked asprofessor for (National) Korea Maritime University 2013-2019 after ExecutiveSenior Vice President of DSEC (Subsidy of Daewoo Shipbuilding MachineryEngineering) and President of MAN Diesel Korea & Turbo Far East till 2013since 1987.
Currently, he is themanaging director of Zollner Energy Systems GmbH, Germany, a partnershipassociate professor at Klaipeda University, and member of the CIMAC GHGStrategy WG.