Japan's giant stock-listed industrial conglomerates have continued to withdraw from domestic shipbuilding, opening the door for privately controlled firms to expand.
Former industry heavyweights Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding in effect quit mainstream commercial shipbuilding production in Japan this year.
Analysts suggested that stock-listed companies generally have a higher wage structure and production costs than their private peers.
