HD Hyundai, Siemens launch joint center for digital shipbuilding
Kim Hyung-kwan, fourth from left, CEO of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and Siemens Digital Industries Software Chief Revenue Officer Robert Jones, fifth from left, pose with other officials during the opening ceremony for the Global Marine Center in Busan, Tuesday. Courtesy of HD Hyundai
HD Hyundai and Siemens Digital Industries Software opened a joint center in Busan on Tuesday as part of their efforts to accelerate digital transformation in the shipbuilding industry.
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding intermediate holding company, held an opening ceremony for the Global Marine Center, attended by key officials from both companies, including CEO Kim Hyung-kwan and Siemens Digital Industries Software Chief Revenue Officer Robert Jones.
The center will house about 50 professionals from both companies specializing in ship design, production, artificial intelligence (AI) platforms and product lifecycle management. It will serve as a key hub for combining HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding expertise with Siemens’ digital engineering technology.
The two companies signed an agreement in July to work together on establishing a next-generation marine platform, a project that aims to connect all aspects of shipbuilding, from design, production and supply chain management to quality control and maintenance with AI and digital technology.
The center will serve as a site for further developing the next-generation marine platform, HD Hyundai said. The companies will also create a digital shipyard where production processes and equipment operations can be simulated and tested before implementation, with the aim of extending its use across production operations as part of a broader shift toward intelligent shipyards.
To support the project, HD Hyundai is pooling resources across the group. HD Hyundai’s Global R&D Center will support the platform’s technology strategy and the development of core technologies. Its shipyards in Ulsan and Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, operated by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Samho, respectively, will test the platform’s functionality and efficiency to minimize risks during deployment.
Kim said the platform would help improve shipyard productivity and competitiveness by enabling the company to verify ship designs and production processes in a digital environment.
“With the Global Marine Center as our hub, we plan to combine HD Hyundai’s accumulated shipbuilding expertise with Siemens’ digital capabilities to accelerate the development of next-generation smart shipyards,” he said.
Jones said shipbuilding’s complex processes, spanning design to production, made it an industry where digital technology could have a significant impact.
“Through our long-term partnership, we will lead the shipbuilding industry’s digital transformation,” he said.