Ship exhaust emission is the main cause of coastal air pollution, leading to premature death from cardiovascular cancer and lung cancer. In light of public health and climate change concerns, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and several governments are reinforcing policies to use clean ship fuels. In January 2020, the IMO reduced the acceptable sulfur content in ship fuel to 0.5% m/m (mass/mass) for sustainability. The use of liquified natural gas (LNG) as a ship fuel is currently the most likely measure to meet this regulation, and LNG bunkering infrastructure investment and network planning are underway worldwide. Therefore, the aim of this study is to predict the LNG bunkering demand for investment and planning. So far, however, there has been little quantitative analysis of LNG bunkering demand prediction. In this study, first, the global LNG bunkering demand was predicted using meta-regression analysis. Global demand for LNG bunkering is forecast to increase from 16.6 million tons in 2025 to 53.2 million tons in 2040. Second, LNG bunkering prediction by country and region was performed through analogy and artificial intelligence methods. The information and insights gained from this study may facilitate policy implementation and investments.

As regional industrial hubs face structural decline, the “Regional industrial resurrection (RIR)” model emerges as a critical solution to bridge systemic deficits in capital, talent, and infrastructure via public Open Labs. This study evaluates the Busan maritime Open Lab’s performance (2021–2022), focusing on representative SMEs strategically selected for their active infrastructure utilization and their capacity to provide verifiable quantitative, qualitative, and economic evidence. Technologically, the intervention facilitated significant advancements, including drastic improvements in operational efficiency for ship reverse engineering, the acquisition of the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries award, enhanced capabilities in maritime structure and water engineering, and the successful commercialization of immersive AR, VR, and DT contents. Economically, these firms realized over 3.3 million USD in consolidated revenue, achieving a robust +66.4% growth rate based on a constant exchange rate to isolate macroeconomic volatility. Socially, the model generated 11.5 verified new jobs, while qualitative surveys confirmed a 100% satisfaction rate for expert-led technical advisory, validating the Lab’s role as an essential innovation intermediary. Finally, by comparing this framework with global intermediary models, the study proposes tailored regional expansion strategies and highlights the necessity of future quasi-experimental research to objectively isolate long-term causal impacts.

Environmental regulations on ship exhaust emissions are being strengthened by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Korean government. Stakeholders consider liquified natural gas (LNG) to be the most realistic alternative to existing fuels. This study predicted the LNG bunkering demand of five major domestic ports: Busan Port, Ulsan Port, Incheon Port, Pyeongtaek and Dangjin Port, and Gwangyang Port. Forecasting using recent performance data and deep learning techniques found that the LNG bunkering demand at Busan Port will increase from 220,000 tons in 2025 to 580,000 tons in 2040. The demand for LNG bunkering at Busan Port was the greatest, followed by Gwangyang Port, Ulsan Port, Pyeongtaek and Dangjin Port, and Incheon Port. The results of this study can be used as important data for the establishment of government carbon-neutral policies and, in terms of industry, it can be used as key data for investment decisions regarding LNG bunkering facilities and LNG-powered ship construction.