is planning comprehensive talks with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. on a major shipbuilding tieup, industry sources said Wednesday.
The alliance, which would have some 350 billion yen in combined sales, would be Japan's largest shipbuilding union, outperforming the 300 billion yen in sales by industry leader Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
The three leading heavy engineering and shipbuilding companies are exploring the idea of integrating their shipbuilding businesses and plan to conclude the talks by the end of this year, sources said.
IHI President Toshifumi Takei on Tuesday discussed the formation of an alliance with Toshio Kamei, president of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which teamed up with Mitsui Engineering in September in commercial shipbuilding operations, according to the sources.