HD Hyundai and Siemens ink pact to 'boost' innovation in US shipbuilding

South Korea’s shipbuilding heavyweight HD Hyundai and German multinational technology conglomerate Siemens have penned an agreement to speed up the digitalization and modernization of the United States’ vessel construction industry.

Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that the two companies have signed, HD Hyundai and Siemens will reportedly work to combine digital and automation technologies to build smart shipyards and ‘reinforce’ shipbuilding capabilities in the U.S.

To be specific, according to officials from HD Hyundai, the goal of the collaboration would be to improve the overall competitiveness of the U.S. shipbuilding industry by ‘enhancing’ design quality, reducing costs and lowering manufacturing risks.

As explained further, the partnership will strive to drive gradual technological innovation across the vessel construction sector by accelerating the digital transformation of ship design, automating block assembly and installation processes, and polishing production, quality and process management via data-driven solutions.

In addition to this, per HD Hyundai, the bipartite initiative will also set up workforce development and specialized engineering programs that will build upon the South Korean shipbuilding giant’s existing academic partnerships with American universities such as the University