Japanese Partners Launch Digital Shipbuilding Project

A group of Japanese organizations have launched an R&D project to build a comprehensive simulation platform and demonstrate its application in shipbuilding.

The initiative is designed to enable the rapid development and delivery of high-performance next-generation ships. The project will build an “integrated simulation platform” that models the entire lifecycle of ship design, construction, and operation —including the supply chain. This comprehensive approach aims to optimize ship specifications and construction plans by integrating virtual engineering into the design process.

Furthermore, the platform will incorporate advanced seasonal forecasting technology to predict weather and sea conditions, including extreme events such as typhoons, up to three months in advance. This enhancement is intended to bolster safe vessel operation by providing more accurate environmental forecasts.

The initiative is a joint effort by 10 organizations including MTI, the representative organization and a member of the NYK Group. The project, titled “Development of Integrated Simulation Platform for Sustainable and Competitive Maritime Industry,” has been adopted as an R&D concept by the Japanese government's Key and Advanced Technology R&D through Cross Community Collaboration Program (K Program), with a five-year duration until September 2030.

Participating organizations are MTI, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and