The output of ship machinery and equipment in Japan is closely related to newbuilding volumes at Japanese shipyards and to shipbuilding prices. Output for 2001, helped by the increase in shipbuilding orders, rose to \759.4 billion (a 5.2% increase over 2000), but this still is a relatively low level and reflects the stagnation of shipbuilding prices caused by intensified international competition for newbuilding orders.

　Breaking down this total by product category, marine internal combustion engines (diesel engines and spark ignition engines, etc.) represented a 35.6% share of the total, followed by parts and accessories (diesel engine parts, accessories, etc.) at 21.9% of the total, outfits (valves, pipe joints, life saving and fire fighting equipment, etc.), 13.4%, marine auxiliaries (electric generators, pumps, etc.), 9.3%, navigational equipment (radars, telecommunications equipment, etc.) 7.2%, mooring and cargo handling machinery 5.4%, and shaftings and propellers, 4.6%.

　

　Exports of ship machinery and equipment in 2001 increased over the previous year and totaled \206.8 billion (up 6.2% over 2000). The proportion of exports to the total output value was 27.2%.

　To break down the exports in 2001 by product category, marine internal combustion engines accounted for 57.1% of the total; navigational equipment, 12.0%; parts and accessories, 14.8%; and marine auxiliaries, 7.2%. Classified by geographical destination, 33.4% of the total exports went to Asian countries, 33.2% to North America, and 22.1% to Europe.

　On the other hand, ship machinery imports by Japanese shipbuilders totaled \23.2 billion (down 8.3% on 2000). The shares of individual product categories were 57.6% for outfits, 13.7% for marine internal combustion engines, and 15.6% for marine auxiliaries.

　

　Japan's ship machinery industry consists of 698 factories and employs a labor force of approximately 32,000 (as of December 31,2000). It produces a wide variety of ship machinery and equipment including diesel engines, generators, outfits and navigational instruments, which it supplies to shipowners and shipyards.

　However, the foundation of the Japan's ship machinery industry has been undermined by intensifying international competition and resultant fall in product prices, which in turn has affected profitability. In addition a protracted national recession has triggered reductions in capital investments and stagnation of R&D activities.

　

　

　In order for Japanese ship machinery manufacturers to remain viable under such adverse circumstances and to continue supplying high quality machinery and equipment to users worldwide, they have to take advantage of technological development capabilities and adapt to changes in the market environment and to strengthen their financial bases and cost competitiveness such that these developments are possible.

　

　In order to become more competitive in the world market, Japanese ship machinery manufacturers should depart from the traditional pattern of their developmental activities merely intended to improve upon and upgrade licensed foreign technologies, but try to develop original technologies. They should also aim at establishing technology adaptable to changes in the conditions of seafaring labor, advances in information technology, further sophistication of peripheral technologies focusing on materials, electronics, and control techniques. However, as a result of intensified cost competition in recent years R&D budgets have been reduced. This means an environment must be created which could revitalize R&D activities to meet social requirements regarding ships.

　

　

　For ship machinery manufacturing to remain a viable industry in this adverse economic condition, it is essential for individual manufacturers to have strong financial bases that enable them to invest in necessary facilities. They are faced with the challenge of meeting this need by expanding the scale of affordable investment by augmenting their capital structures through alliances and realignment and through arrangements for joint procurement of components and materials.

　

　The Japanese ship machinery industry needs to improve its cost competitiveness if it is to survive intensified international competition. This means that individual manufacturers should start to work out intrinsically lower-cost designs and reduce the number of components used by increasing the level of component standardization, and reduce the man-hours spent per unit produced. These measures are in addition to enhancing productivity by modernization and automation of production facilities and procurement of lower-cost materials and components.

　

　With a view to consolidating the business bases of ship machinery manufacturers, the industry has been designated eligible for assistance under the Law for Facilitating the Creation of New Business and the Law on Special Measures for Industrial Revitalization, Business renovation is being promoted through the effective utilization of corporate resources by spin-offs and by strengthening core business activities. The ship machinery industry has also been designated as a specific target of the Law for Supporting Management Renovation of Small- and Medium-Size Enterprises, and is aided in activities to consolidate the financial basis across the whole sector.

　In addition, standardization of ship machinery and equipment is being promoted as a means to eliminate the high-cost structure associated with low-volume high-mix production and to build up a more efficient production system.

　

　

　E-commerce and other information technology applications are now widespread in industry and society at large. In shipbuilding and other industries related to ship machinery manufacturing, the rationalization of business procedures and transaction practices is expected to progress rapidly as computerized data handling becomes the norm, and accordingly it is essential that the ship machinery industry integrates IT into its business operations.

　It is predicted that the ship machinery manufacturing industry will greatly benefit from the introduction of such technologies as it will make possible productivity enhancement and accelerate the product development process through increasing efficiency in the development, designing and manufacturing divisions and more prompt decision making.

　IT is also expected to facilitate rationalization of business activities across the whole ship machinery industry, as it will necessitate, along with the standardization of information processing techniques, a review of the current flow of business procedures and restructuring of the internal organizations of companies.

　The three-year ZoHaku Web project (a R&D exercise for a more sophisticated design and technical data exchange network) was started in fiscal 1998 to promote standardization of technical information exchange procedures between shipbuilders and ship machinery manufacturers. The ZoHaku Web system developed under this project was successfully launched in April 2002.