HD Korea Shipbuilding outlines tech roadmap with MIT-led maritime consortium

Dec. 18 (Asia Today) -- HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said Thursday it presented a "shipbuilding technology roadmap" and first-year research outcomes from an MIT-led maritime consortium focused on innovation and decarbonization, including autonomous navigation, cybersecurity and small modular reactor research.

The company, HD Hyundai's intermediate holding firm for shipbuilding, said it recently held a workshop at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam, south of Seoul, to share results from the first year of the MIT Maritime Consortium.

The consortium, launched in March, is led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Greek shipping company Capital and the American Bureau of Shipping, with the stated goal of exploring shipbuilding technology innovation and decarbonization solutions. HD Korea Shipbuilding said about 180 participants attended, including consortium members and industry and academic experts.

The company said this year's key research achievements included AI-based autonomous navigation solutions, cybersecurity solutions, advanced development work related to SMR-powered vessels and manufacturing technologies using 3D printing.

Related

• Expert says nuclear submarines are industrial strategy, not a budget drain
• North Korea increasingly uses Kim's Workers' Party title, report says
• Seoul's Unification Ministry aims for 'peaceful coexistence' with North Korea in 2026 plan

It said the consortium plans to select vessels to install Avikus' "HiNAS Control" autonomous navigation system - developed by HD Hyundai's autonomy subsidiary - and verify potential fuel-efficiency gains. It also said a prototype AI model for detecting cyber threats has been developed.

The company said the consortium participated in producing an "SMR Propulsion Ship Safety Handbook" published by MIT in October, describing it as a step toward establishing standards for commercialization of marine nuclear technology.

Jang Kwang-pil, head of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, said the company will expand consortium R&D efforts, including establishing standards to verify fuel savings from AI-integrated autonomous navigation solutions.

He said the company aims to contribute to technological innovation and decarbonization through global cooperation in shipbuilding.

HD Hyundai said it is broadening cooperation with overseas universities beyond MIT through education partnerships and industry forums. It said it signed an education cooperation memorandum last July with the University of Michigan and Seoul National University to foster shipbuilding talent and hosted a Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation expert forum at its Seongnam R&D Center in June.

- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.