Imabari Shipbuilding weighs what it will take to resume LNG carrier building　今治造船、LNG船建造へ「何が必要か」　

Workforce and supply chain rebuilding seen as key challenges

人材確保やサプライチェーン再構築が鍵

Yukito Higaki, President of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., said at a joint press conference on July 23 that the company is positively considering the resumption of domestic construction of LNG carriers in response to a request from the Japanese government, in discussions involving multiple shipbuilders and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Higaki also expressed the view that, with the government’s policy of pursuing public- and private-sector investment totalling JPY1 trillion providing momentum, it is important to advance discussions on “what is needed” for Japan to build LNG carriers once again.

■The full article covers the following topics (approximately 7,000 Japanese characters)

→Higaki candidly explains that “the biggest challenge is securing skilled personnel” for the resumption of LNG carrier construction

→He clarifies that cooperation with South Korea should focus not on competition but on supply chain collaboration

→A detailed account of the press conference is presented in a question-and-answer format.

→He outlines the challenges and investment strategy behind expanding Japan’s domestic shipbuilding capacity under the government’s support programme

→He explains the future direction of Japan’s shipbuilding industry, stressing that “ships used by Japan should be built in Japan”

(Please read the remainder of the article in the paid edition, published in both English and Japanese. The Japanese article follows the English version.)

今治造船、LNG船建造へ「何が必要か」

人材確保やサプライチェーン再構築が鍵

　今治造船の檜垣幸人（Yukito Higaki）社長は7月23日の共同記者会見で、LNG運搬船の国内建造再開について、日本政府の要請を受け、複数の造船会社や国土交通省と前向きに検討していることを明らかにした。

同時に檜垣社長は、官民合わせて1兆円規模の投資を目指す政府方針を追い風に、日本でLNG船を再び建造するために「何が必要か」の議論を進めることが重要との認識を示した。

■記事本文では以下の内容を読むことができます（記事全文約7,000文字）

→LNG船建造再開へ「最大の課題は人材」と檜垣社長が率直に説明

→韓国との協力は競争ではなく「サプライチェーン連携」との考えを明らかに

→会見の質疑応答を一問一答形式でその内容の詳報を伝える

→政府の造船支援を受け、国内建造能力倍増への課題と投資の考え方を説明

→「日本の船は日本で造る」――国内造船業の役割と今後の方向性を語る

（続きは英語と日本語で書かれた有料版の本文でお読みください。日本語の記事は英文記事に続いて掲載されています）