Ship building is the process of constructing ships. Ship building or building of a ship has always undergone development in each century. Generally the process of ship building or ship construction takes place in shipyards or in dockyards that undertake ship repair and other modifying services.

Ship Building History

History takes back to show that Egyptians mastered in ship building in as early as 3000 BC. Various reports show the existence of ships in Egypt which were in the form of wooden planks tied together and stuffed with grass. Discovery of 43.6 m long vessel found in the Giza pyramid in around 2500 BC is yet another evidence of its very existence and build. Again the Egyptian ships of eighteenth dynasty were traced to be 80ft in length with a mast and oar used for propulsion. At the same time, ships of Phoenicia and Greeks seemed to be more innovative being lighter, with the use of various oars to move faster.

Ship building took its best foot forward by building the first tidal dock on the Gujarat coast, India during Harappan Civilization. Ships from this area succeeded in establishing trade with Mesopotamia boosting up the ship building and boat building industry. While China’s history looked more convincing with rectangular shaped barges and ramming vessels in Zhou Dynasty, major developments were seen to be added in ship building during the Song, Yuan and early Ming Dynasty with a large line of naval army and maritime trade. European ships also complimented with the changes like sternposts, rudder and a much stronger steering oars in them. Further, Middle ages favored round ships and initiated the addition of cannons to ship apart from techniques to increase the stability thus increasing the importance of ship building. Slowly but steadily iron started to replace wood and Isambard Brunel's Great Britain of 1843 recorded to be the first major new design built with iron and multiple watertight bulkheads. Further moving along, steel replaced iron.

At present, the world’s largest ship building nation is South Korea while taking into account tonnage and the vessels built by them. South Korea made its mark with the latest ship building technology, efficiency and the changing trends used in both ship building and shipyards. When South Korea stands first for largest ship building, Ulsan, managed by Hyundai Heavy Industries grabs the foremost position in shipyard section. Some of the industries that rule the ship building industry include Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, Daewoo Ship building and Marine Engineering, STX Ship building, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, Hanjin Heavy Industries and Sungdong Ship building & Marine Engineering, the list moves on and keeps on changing.

South Korea is closely followed by China, Europe and Japan respectively to grab the superlative position. The need or necessities to prove in this field of ship building are mainly found to be either the maritime trade or the need to strengthen naval power of the nation. Following the latest trend of block construction in ship building (i.e. each part is built separately in the yard and is finally fixed together) each nation moves forward to strengthen the global marine power.