Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is vying for orders of luxury ferries from Europe.
The company plans to expand its Mitsubishi Shipbuilding facilities in Shimonoseki and Nagasaki to bid for the business, according to president Koji Okura.
He told Kyodo News: "We are looking at the European market. We must win there in price and performance."
MHI is also considering moving into the luxury ferry sector in Asia in the near future.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding was spun-off in January as the group restructured to pull out of the cruiseship business.
It believes demand is growing in Europe for ferries.
The plan is to start construction at Nagasaki by March 2021.
It is currently an LNG and LPG vessel specialist.
