HD Hyundai said it will join hands with academia, including Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Ulsan National University, to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI). The goal is to seize leadership in AI-based breakthrough technologies in the shipbuilding and marine sectors, which are struggling with China's pursuit and chronic labor shortages. The government also plans to back the effort by applying data regulatory sandboxes.
HD Hyundai said that on the afternoon of the 20th at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, five institutions, including major affiliates such as HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Robotics, as well as UNIST and Ulsan National University, gathered to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation on AI technology development in the shipbuilding and marine industries.
Chairman Chung Ki-sun of HD Hyundai and President Park Jong-rae of UNIST attended the signing ceremony. From the government, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon and Park Dong-il, director general for industrial policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, were also present.
HD Hyundai and the five institutions agreed to cooperate on areas including: ▲ development of AI foundation models specialized for the shipbuilding and marine industries ▲ building a data ecosystem ▲ training professionals ▲ revitalizing the regional industrial ecosystem. They plan to convert data that condenses core technologies and know-how in shipbuilding and marine into a "digital national strategic asset" and use it as a resource to maintain global competitiveness.
At the ceremony, Chung said, "These days, I often feel a sense of crisis when I think about China," and added, "For traditional industry corporations like shipbuilding, it is more important than anything else to integrate AI faster and more precisely than China to promptly deliver tangible results, such as lowering manufacturing site costs and improving ships' fuel efficiency."
He added, "The competitiveness of future shipbuilding sites will depend on how well AI technology is utilized," and said, "I expect this industry-academia technology alliance to be a decisive catalyst that accelerates HD Hyundai's establishment of an independent AI ecosystem."
HD Hyundai plans to make this industry-academia AI technology alliance a key driver for retaining its global No. 1 position and to speed up the U.S.-Korea shipbuilding cooperation project "MASGA." Through this, the company said it expects to contribute to the government's goal of leaping into the "top three AI powerhouses" and to revitalize the economies of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province.
To that end, HD Hyundai recently elevated the dedicated organization overseeing the group's AI technology development within HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering to the "AIX Promotion Office" and carried out a restructuring to place it directly under the chief executive officer (CEO).
The government also sees this industry-academia cooperation as an opportunity for a resurgence of K-shipbuilding and will break down inter-ministerial barriers to provide support. The Ministry of Science and ICT will focus on removing regulations that hinder AI research and development. It plans to identify unreasonable rules that restrict data collection and use and apply regulatory sandboxes.
In particular, support will be strengthened to help develop physical AI that controls robots and equipment. The government will build a system (data pipeline) that smoothly collects and supplies massive on-site data and help ensure that general-purpose AI models (foundation models), which can be widely applied to various processes, can be operated practically in the field. In addition, it will support investment and infrastructure upgrades so that local academia, including UNIST, can work with corporations.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will support process innovation on manufacturing sites. It plans to develop models that digitize the know-how of highly skilled workers accumulated over the past half-century, such as in welding and painting, and apply them to AI automation processes. The goal is to realize an "AI autonomously operated shipyard," including ▲ automation of medium and large block production ▲ automation of yard logistics. These technologies will be secured sequentially through communication with the industry centered on the manufacturing AX consultative body "M.AX (Manufacturing AX) Alliance."
Minister Bae said, "This agreement will serve as an important stepping stone for the domestic shipbuilding industry to overcome its crisis and seize opportunities," and added, "We will provide full support so that it can become a case that accelerates not only balanced national development but also the achievement of the goal of entering the top three AI powerhouses."