On August 8, 2026, the 3D Printing Convergence Technology Center at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, together with startup 3DFactory, was selected for the "2026 Second Shipbuilding and Marine Industry Technology Development Project" by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). Over a 54-month period, the team will develop metal additive manufacturing technology for 5-meter-class ship propellers. The total project budget is KRW 11 billion (approximately USD 7.74 million), with KRW 8.5 billion (approximately USD 5.98 million) in government funding, targeting the U.S. Navy's MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) market. Using large-scale directed energy deposition (DED) technology, the project aims to reduce propeller manufacturing time from months (as with traditional casting) to just weeks. This marks a milestone application of metal AM technology to large, critical naval components. A single 5-meter-class propeller can weigh several tons, requiring a massive consumption of metal powder (or wire). The naval MRO market presents sustained demand for copper alloy powders such as nickel-aluminum bronze (NAB). Key takeaways for powder buyers: 1) Large-scale DED processes primarily use metal wire or coarse powder (45-150 μm), a distinct product line from the fine powder (15-45 μm) used in LPBF; 2) If DED scales up in ship repair applications, it will create a new demand category for powder and wire; 3) Watch for UNIST's choice of NAB alloy powder suppliers.