US-South Korean partnership seeks to 'streamline' smart vessel technologies

Classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) have inked an agreement to explore the international standardization of smart vessel and shipyard technologies.

Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that the two partners signed, ABS and KATS will specifically focus on shipbuilding and vessel maintenance, repair and overhaul, representatives from the American Bureau of Shipping have explained.

As disclosed, the two organizations plan to exchange information via a set of joint workshops and seminars in order to ‘bolster’ international standardization capabilities and ‘streamline’ certification procedures for South Korean equipment manufacturers.

Moreover, the agreement will reportedly allow ABS and KATS to create a conformity assessment framework that could allow for the verification of equipment compliance with a number of international regulations.

Efforts to promote the development and application of smart shipyard-oriented projects in South Korea have seen a steady upward trend in recent times.

As informed, the benefits of such digital technologies in the shipbuilding and repair sectors range from minimized delays, lower material waste and reduced energy use to predictive maintenance and