Japanese industrial conglomerate Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is willing to build Australia's new submarines in Australia if need be.
MHI chief executive Shunichi Miyanaga also says the Australian workforce is quite capable of building the vessels.
Mr Miyanaga is in Australia to promote and answer questions on MHI's bid for the submarines contract, inspect Australian shipyards and investigate potential areas of co-operation between MHI and Australian industry and research institutions.
Asked if MHI was prepared to build the submarines in Australia, he told reporters: "If it is requested by the Australian government, we would be very much willing to do so".
He said some components may have to be imported from overseas, but MHI would do its best to procure items locally, adding that Australia's supply chain and shipbuilding skills were capable of building the new submarines.
"My visit this time is a very assuring visit. I have very strong confidence in the expertise in shipbuilding, specifically the expertise established through the Collins submarine program," he said.
He said Australia may lack some skills, such as some special welding technology, but MHI was willing to train workers either in Australia or in Japan before construction.
"We would like to make as much as possible in Australia - it is very important," Mr Miyanaga said.
"I have found the Australian industries are very much qualified and have very high skills and expertise."
MHI also was prepared to establish a design centre, possibly co-located in Japan and Australia, that initially would focus on the submarine project but later could cover other sectors of interest.
MHI is leading a Japanese consortium bidding to build a version of the Soryu-class submarine currently in service, which is 89 metres long, carries a crew of 65 and has a range of 6,100 nautical miles.
The federal government is expected to choose the winning bidder from Japanese, German and French designs later in 2016.
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