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Shipbuilders turn to class for digital, autonomous innovation
South Korean and Singaporean shipbuilders have formed ventures and agreements with ABS to advance innovation in digital and autonomous technologies
Advances in digitalisation, cybersecurity and autonomous navigation technologies will enhance shipbuilding and operations by South Korean and Singaporean shipbuilders in the coming years.
These leaders in ship construction, engineering and operations have turned to ABS to provide frameworks to validate these prepare them for commercial applications.
HD Hyundai’s Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ABS to co-operate on digital technologies to strengthen safety and performance in shipbuilding.
Their agreement establishes a framework to collaborate on digital trends, secure and integrate flows of data, across the entire vessel value chain.
ABS said areas of focus will include digital engineering, autonomous vessel systems and integrated cybersecurity tools.
“This MoU is another milestone in the long-running collaboration between ABS and HD Hyundai,” said ABS chairman and chief executive, John McDonald.
“Digital technologies are reshaping shipbuilding, helping to improve safety and operational value.”
ABS and HD KSOE will jointly establish a framework for 3D model-based approval and trusted data exchange between the shipyard and classification society.
“We expect to lead the development of digital engineering standards spanning the entire vessel lifecycle and to accelerate market entry by securing global class certifications,” said HD Hyundai chairman and chief executive, Ki-sun Chung.
ABS and HD KSOE will also jointly develop integrated cybersecurity and data safety guidelines for autonomous vessels, building on current requirements by the International Assoication of Classification Societies (IACS) to address the evolving threat landscape facing next-generation fleets.
In another agreement, ABS, HD Hyundai and Anduril Industries signed an MoU to explore autonomous maritime capabilities.
This establishes a framework for developing and testing solutions encompassing vessel design, production, autonomy and classification of autonomous surface vessels using Anduril’s strengths in autonomous systems and artificial intelligence.
“Autonomy is set to play a defining role in the future of the maritime industry,” said ABS executive vice president for operations, Paul Karam.
“We are exploring how to support the safe, practical and scalable adoption of autonomous surface vessels.”
There are high expectations for the certification process for the unmanned vessels, said Anduril’s general manager for surface vessels, Cory Emmons.
HD Hyundai’s president and chief executive for naval and medium-sized vessels, WonHo Joo, said the “unmanned vessel sector is a defining theme in the future global naval market and an area in which we must take the lead.”
ABS will use its established requirements for autonomous and remote-control functions during these MoUs with HD Hyundai affiliates.
Singapore solutions
Seatrium Technology and Innovation, in Singapore, will be working with ABS under another MoU to advance innovation, regulatory alignment and sustainable technologies across the maritime and offshore energy sectors.
Another framework will be introduced for knowledge exchange and technical collaboration between the shipbuilder and US-based class society, helping to shape the next generation of ships, offshore drilling rigs and floating production systems.
Seatrium executive vice president for technology, Aziz Merchant, expects this agreement to support new product development and practical innovation.
“Our collaboration with ABS under this MoU supports technology assessment, regulatory readiness, classification, and verification pathways of emerging solutions across new energies, maritime decarbonisation, autonomous technologies, harsh-environment applications, and advanced offshore infrastructure,” said Mr Merchant.
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