HD Hyundai said on the 2nd that it recently signed a "strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) to modernize the U.S. shipbuilding industry and strengthen technological competitiveness" with German engineering corporations Siemens at Lahan Select Hotel in Gyeongju. The move is seen as a strategy to accelerate shipbuilding cooperation with the United States.

The two corporations plan to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the U.S. shipbuilding industry by improving design quality at U.S. shipyards, minimizing process risk, enhancing quality, and reducing expense. By combining HD Hyundai's shipbuilding know-how with Siemens' Digital Twin and business platform technologies, they will drive the digital transformation of production processes and maximize efficiency.

HD Hyundai signs a strategic business agreement with the German engineering corporations Siemens in Gyeongju, where APEC 2025 takes place, to modernize the U.S. shipbuilding industry and strengthen its technological competitiveness. Joe Bohman (left), CTO of Siemens, and Moon Sang-min, head of global strategy at HD Hyundai, pose for a commemorative photo after the signing. /Courtesy of HD Hyundai

Through this, they will push forward step by step with shipbuilding innovation measures such as the digital advancement of ship design, the automation and smartification of block assembly and installation processes, and data-driven optimization of production, quality, and process management.

They will also promote a program to train shipbuilding specialists. HD Hyundai will dispatch shipbuilding education personnel to the United States. Hands-on, field-centered training will be conducted using about 30 Siemens training facilities. Based on ongoing industry-academic cooperation with major universities such as the University of Michigan and MIT, they will also develop specialized curricula in engineering, digital design, and process automation.

Analysts say the collaboration between the two corporations will help accelerate the smart transition of U.S. shipyards and lift overall competitiveness in shipbuilding, including quality improvement, expense reduction, and minimizing production risk.

An HD Hyundai official said, "The key to rebuilding the U.S. shipbuilding industry is to maximize production efficiency through digital and automation technologies," adding, "HD Hyundai's accumulated shipbuilding expertise and Siemens' digital capabilities will help create new opportunities for the U.S. shipbuilding industry."

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