HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Partners with MIT for 'Decarbonization' R&D

Launch of the 'MIT Shipbuilding and Maritime Consortium'

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is embarking on future technology research in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

On the 18th (local time), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on the 28th that it held the launch ceremony of the 'MIT Maritime Consortium' at MIT in Cambridge, USA. This consortium is led by MIT's Department of Ocean Engineering and the Schwarzman College of Computing, with key goals of technological innovation and decarbonization in the shipbuilding and maritime fields. The Schwarzman College of Computing is an AI-specialized college established by MIT with an investment of 1 billion USD (approximately 1.4 trillion KRW).

Jang Gwangpil, Director of Future Technology Research Institute at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (7th from the right), and Themis Sapsis, Director of MIT Ocean Engineering Center (1st from the right), along with other officials, attended the launch ceremony of the 'MIT Shipbuilding and Offshore Consortium' at MIT on the 18th (local time). (Photo by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering)

The consortium includes founding members such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, MIT, the Greek shipping company 'Capital', and the American classification society ABS, among other institutions in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors. Additionally, the Greek shipping company 'Dorian', the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI), and the UK renewable energy investment firm Foresight Group are participating as innovation members to conduct research and development.

Through participation in the consortium, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to demonstrate the AI-based integrated autonomous navigation solution currently under development, including 'Hynas Control' from Avikus, a specialized autonomous navigation company. Avikus is a subsidiary established by HD Hyundai in 2020 to strengthen its smart ship business. The consortium aims to establish a credible verification system for fuel efficiency reduction effects with MIT researchers. Furthermore, it seeks to advance the development of SMR-powered vessels, which are gaining attention as future ships in the shipbuilding industry, to accelerate the commercialization of maritime nuclear technology.

Jang Kwang-pil, Director of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, stated, "We plan to conduct integrated verification of various AI-based autonomous navigation solutions being jointly developed with Avikus," adding, "Through participation in the consortium, we will lead global technology standards and take the lead in developing next-generation eco-friendly ships that combine both economic efficiency and safety."

Meanwhile, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is strengthening industry-academia-research cooperation to secure future driving forces in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors. In July last year, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for educational cooperation to nurture talent in the shipbuilding industry with the University of Michigan and Seoul National University. On the 7th of this month, Senior Vice Chairman Jung Ki-sun visited the U.S. Naval Academy to exchange views on development directions and research tasks in the shipbuilding and maritime fields.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.