HD Hyundai Partners with Siemens to Build Smart Shipyard

Business Agreement for Joint Development of Manufacturing Innovation Platform with Germany's Siemens

HD Hyundai signed a business agreement with Germany's Siemens at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center (GRC) in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, to jointly develop an integrated design-production manufacturing innovation platform. From the third person on the right to the left in the photo, Jung Ki-sun, President of HD Hyundai; Tobias Lange, Vice President of Siemens; and Kim Hyung-kwan, President of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by HD Hyundai

HD Hyundai has partnered with the global smart engineering company Siemens to develop a data platform for building smart shipyards.

HD Hyundai announced on the 18th that its shipbuilding affiliates, including HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, signed a "business agreement for joint development of an integrated design-production manufacturing innovation platform" with Germany's Siemens at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center (GRC) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

The signing ceremony was attended by Jung Ki-sun, President of HD Hyundai; Kim Hyung-kwan, President of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard; Tobias Lange, Vice President of Siemens; and Oh Byung-jun, President of Siemens Korea, among others.

Through this agreement, HD Hyundai plans to establish a digital automated production system that manages all data from ship design to production on a single platform. The goal is to reduce inefficiencies caused by data discontinuity between processes and achieve productivity innovation.

Initially, by the end of 2025, HD Hyundai will introduce automated equipment such as steel plate forming robots and panel welding robots into the in-house processes at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and complete the establishment of a Cyber Physical System (CPS) linked with design to achieve digital automation of in-house processes.

Subsequently, the production automation system will be integrated with the next-generation design platform being developed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, managing data from design to production on a single platform. This aims to complete a Digital Twin-based integrated innovation platform applicable across all shipbuilding affiliates.

Once the platform is completed, data collected from production sites will be analyzed to identify issues, and based on this, designs will be revised in a "virtuous cycle of shipbuilding." This is expected to enhance ship quality and process efficiency.

An HD Hyundai official stated, "Through this agreement, we have taken a step closer to realizing a smart shipyard where all shipbuilding processes are automated under optimal conditions," adding, "We will transform the paradigm of the shipbuilding industry by building smart shipyards."

Meanwhile, HD Hyundai is promoting the construction of the future-oriented shipyard ‘FOS (Future of Shipyard)’ to solidify its position as the world’s number one in shipbuilding, aiming to transition to smart shipyards by 2030.