About
our company
Alternative Marine Technologies (AMTECH) was founded by Robert Kunkel, a Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduate who sailed as a licensed engineer before building a career in ship construction and project management. His experience includes work at National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO) in San Diego, Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, and shipyards in China.
Kunkel’s involvement in South Korea dates to 1981, when he served as project manager on a series of Panamax bulk carriers under construction at Hyundai. At the time, Hyundai was still building out its own shipyard, giving him early, hands-on exposure to one of the industry’s most ambitious yard development efforts. He developed long-standing relationships with Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, eventually opening an AMTECH office within Hyundai Mipo in 2015. His background also encompasses large-scale U.S. commercial work, including the Brooklyn-class VLCC tankers and involvement with the San Clemente-class tankers that were converted into the hospital ships USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort.
He previously served as Federal Chairman of the Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Program under the Maritime Administration (2003–2008), is a past Vice President of the Connecticut Maritime Association, a senior member of the ABS Special Committee on Ship Operations, and an elected member of the National Cargo Bureau.
AMTECH operates as a small, agile network of engineers, naval architects, project managers, and consultants. The company maintains offices in the United States and a South Korean office in Ulsan. Our Korean team comes from the largest and most advanced shipyard complex in the world—centered on HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan—and has contributed to the delivery of an immense number of ships (more than 250). This combination of deep U.S. construction expertise and hands-on experience at the world’s leading shipbuilding facilities enables AMTECH to provide rigorous technical oversight that ensures vessels are built correctly and to specification.
Services
Core Services
Vessel Construction Management (VCM) / Construction Supervision: Full oversight of newbuilds, conversions, and major life-extension projects.
Design Review and Integration: Review and monitoring to confirm vessels and systems are built according to approved designs, specifications, and requirements
Ship Repair Supervision
Third-Party Ship Inspection
Shipyard Consulting: Support for shipyard operations, processes, modernization, and project execution.
Technical Support for Owners, Private Equity, Banks & Financial Institutions: Assistance with construction issues, vessel condition assessment, commercial operations, and marine Asset Management.
Project Management: Single-point-of-contact support for designing, building, maintaining, and repairing portfolios of vessels.
Maritime Startup Consulting: Advisory and technical support for new maritime ventures, from concept and design through construction strategy, regulatory navigation and operational setup.
Specialized Capabilities
Alternative Energy / Propulsion Solutions: Design integration and construction management for hybrid-electric systems, LNG bunker vessels, and other low-emission technologies.
Niche Trades and Specialized Vessels.
U.S. Jones Act & Domestic Workboat Experience.
Advanced Coating Application and Inspection: Trained support for high-performance polymer coatings.
Contact Us
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