Reintroduced to Congress, the proposed Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security for America Act would unlock USD250 million annually (FY26-35) for domestic U.S. shipbuilding projects. This SHIPS for America Act aims to grow the U.S. commercial shipping fleet and is supported by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Maritime Action Plan, which details measures to create cargo demand for U.S. built ships.   The SHIPS for America Act has bipartisan support, and its aim is to revitalize the U.S.’s maritime industry through the commercial incentivization of shipbuilding, a coordinated national maritime strategy, and investment in shipyard infrastructure.   The act would enable the creation of a Strategic Commercial Fleet Program, increasing U.S.-flagged international merchant vessels by 250 ships in 10 years, coordinating U.S. maritime strategy through a Maritime Security Advisor and Maritime Security board. It would provide an investment tax credit of up to 40.5% for investments to construct, repower, or reconstruct eligible oceangoing vessels in the U.S., with a 25 percent investment tax credit to modernize qualifying domestic shipyards.

To support this ambition,the Trump administration has also signed the executive order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” calling for a Maritime Action Plan. Published in February 2026, the plan outlines combined agency actions and investments to support U.S. shipbuilding, port infrastructure and workforce development. The plan also encourages collaboration with allied shipyards to achieve its targets and close coordination with allies to align trade policy and attract investment into U.S. shipbuilding.   Work has already started. Investments are coming in and demand is growing. What remains, however, is the question of how the U.S. will achieve these targets? The U.S. does not need to undertake this monumental renewal of its maritime strategy alone—active collaboration with South Korea and Japan are both outlined in the Maritime Action Plan in 2026 and could be game-changing for U.S. shipyards.

The U.S. is currently working in partnership with South Korea, as the country has agreed to invest USD$150 billion into U.S. shipbuilding. In 2024, South Korea saw its shipbuilding output increase by 22% and achieved 28% of the global market share by compensated gross tonnage (CGT). HD Hyundai Heavy, the world’s largest shipyard headquartered in Ulsan, has even been reported to be discussing the purchase of a U.S. shipyard.

U.S. officials have publicly stated how the South Korean Hyundai and Hanwha shipyards were powerhouses when they witnessed vessels being built quickly and efficiently. Underlying this is digitalization, which is more than a buzzword for these companies. South Korean shipyards are consistently proving that software can be implemented effectively to meet their targets, as shown by the sheer volume of newbuilds and orders that have been secured, designed and built on time and to high quality.   Digitalization of the design and manufacturing process has been integral to the South Korean approach, with international partners playing a key role in this. Decades of international collaboration has seen companies like NAPA, based in Finland, supporting South Korea’s “Big 3” shipbuilders,  specialized digital ship design tools that are optimized for the sector.

One example of this is HD Hyundai Heavy’s adoption of NAPA Steel in 2016 to modernize its hull structure basic design process. This shift from traditional 2D drawing-based methods to an integrated 3D modeling approach was a significant milestone for naval architects, enabling them to optimize processes and improve efficiency. While this case highlights the benefits of digitalization, it represents just one example among many where advanced digital tools are helping shipyards transform their design workflows.

The U.S.’ increased ambition also extends to Arctic shipbuilding. In May 2026, for example, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced a $3.5 billion contract for five new Arctic Security Cutters with construction in both the U.S. and Finland. This partnership aligns with USCG ambitions to increase polar capabilities and Arctic presence.   Both countries have been long-term allies and have cooperated on Arctic shipbuilding extensively. Last year, Bollinger Shipyards (Bollinger), Rauma Shipyards (Rauma), Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) and Aker Arctic (Aker) announced their partnership to support fast, low-risk Arctic Security Cutters (ASC) deliveries to the USCG. Like partnerships with South Korea and Japan, this collaboration is also based on sharing best practices and knowledge. For the U.S., this partnership is an opportunity to strengthen its shipbuilding capacity and equip its workforce with the skills needed to continue the next generation of vessels.

Vessels will continue to grow in complexity. Changing weather conditions, cargo, regulations and more variables mean that the stakes are higher than ever. Naval architects and engineers need to be able to model and simulate the vessel’s future performance, fuel consumption, GHG emissions, strength and stability parameters, hydrodynamic profile and many more aspects before construction is started. The data collected from the ship’s operations post-build can then be reviewed and monitored against these figures, building a comprehensive source of information for future projects.

This concept of a “digital shipyard” facilitates the collaboration between all those involved in the design and building process—from naval architects and engineers, to shipowners, shipyards and class societies—which minimizes miscommunication and errors, creates a single source of truth for partners and speeds up processes like approvals while allowing for real-time technical input on the same 3D model.  The potential for this is not just allowing for a better visualization of the project but also actively enabling more complex ship designs. As the global maritime community looks to decarbonize and achieve net-zero ambitions, design data and performance simulations are invaluable, especially when considering alternative fuels or propulsion technologies that would reduce the vessel’s carbon footprint.    Digitalization in this way has been adopted and utilized in South Korea to great effect, and when it comes to optimized and efficient shipbuilding, the U.S. can follow these established approaches to growth. To reach its ambitious targets, the U.S. has a “must take” opportunity to embrace digital shipyards to streamline production, to collaborate with industry leaders, and to use this tried and tested model to boost its capabilities.