AUSTAL, the ASX-listed shipbuilder, and Spectainer, which has developed the Collapsecon collapsible shipping container, have entered into a strategic partnership.

Spectainer has developed a collapsible shipping container, called Collapsecon. It has also developed an automated manufacturing system, the Collapsecon Operating Station (COS).

The strategic partnership aims to optimise Collapsecon and the COS for mass manu8facturing at Austal Vietnam’s shipyard in Vung tau. The partnership includes developing production capability, capacity and the necessary material supply chain to support mass production of Collapsecon and COS.

Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said the venture has tremendous potential to positively impact global greenhouse emissions.

“We are confident that our team of skilled engineers, in Vietnam and Australia, working closely with Spectainer will successfully bring this game-changing product to market,” he said.

Spectainer managing director Nicholas Press said he was thrilled about the partnership with Austal for the optimization and mass production of Collapsecon and COS.

“Austal is one of the best ship builders not just in Australia, but globally,” he said.

“Austal partnering with Spectainer for mass manufacturing will ensure that we can deliver Collapsecon and COS reliably, cost effectively and at scale, thus enabling us to achieve our goal of establishing Collapsecon as the world’s first mass-produced collapsible container solution.”

Collapsecon containers are designed so that four collapsed containers can be transported in one container, resulting in meaningful economic savings, increased operational productivity on land and sea, and reduced carbon emissions.

The two companies aim to develop a business model that may be formally established as a manufacturing supply contract within the next six months.