The government and the nation's three shipbuilders have agreed to invest nine trillion won, or around six-point-seven billion U.S. dollars, over the next five years to obtain future super-gap technology in the shipbuilding industry.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Tuesday, the "K-Shipbuilding Next Generation Initiative," a platform for such cooperation was launched for discussions on the direction for the industry's transformation, as well as export strategies.

At the inaugural meeting, the government, the three shipbuilders - HD Korean Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hanwha Ocean - and the Korea Offshore and Shipbuilding Association signed an agreement to jointly secure super-gap competitiveness of domestic shipbuilders.

In the mid to long term, the public and private sectors will jointly adopt a roadmap for super-gap research and development within the first half of this year to obtain next-generation technology.

Based on the roadmap, the government and the shipbuilders plan to develop the world's first liquid hydrogen carrier by 2030, and to lead the international standard for unmanned autonomous vessels.