UISAN, South Korea and HELSINKI and TURKU, Finland, Jan 18, 2024 – HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s largest shipyard, has announced a joint development project (JDP) with NAPA and CADMATIC, two leading providers of smart 3D maritime design, engineering and information management software, to accelerate the digital transformation of the shipbuilding industry.
The joint project will develop a next-generation ship design and information management solution, which will also embed a product lifecycle management (PLM) system. The partnership will harness advanced 3D models and the latest developments in information management technology to create intelligent solutions to support the entire ship building process.
This will help HD Hyundai Heavy Industries implement its vision of a “digital shipyard”, where smart data and digital twins support the optimization of the design process from the early stages to construction and production, and then provide a valuable source of information throughout the ship’s lifetime at sea.
The new partnership aims to deliver high shipbuilding efficiency including shorter time schedules, lower costs, and higher quality in large and more complex shipbuilding projects via digitalization and a seamlessly integrated solution. The platform will enhance the collaboration of different shipyard departments and significantly improve information accessibility between the hundreds – if not thousands – of people involved in the ship design and building process. The goal is to optimize processes and enable error-free design for production and safe operation.
By digitalizing and optimizing the ship design and construction processes, the project will also help HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to respond to growing demand by shipowners for innovative energy-efficient designs that will support their decarbonization transition, and enhance its capability to deliver next-generation vessels, including alternative fuels or vessels equipped with new technologies such as batteries or wind propulsion.
Under the agreement, NAPA and CADMATIC will combine their extensive shipbuilding expertise in naval architecture, initial, detail and production design, as well as modern 3D-based collaboration and information management, including product lifecycle management (PLM). The technological strengths of the two software providers will be combined with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ experience as the world’s largest shipyard, having delivered over 2,300 ships to over 300 shipowners in its 51 years of existence.
Seung-Ho Jeon, CTO at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said: “At HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, we are spearheading the creation of a digital shipyard, in line with our Future of Shipyard (FOS) vision, and see this as an important area of development in the ship design and building processes. With this joint project, our ambition is to develop the next generation of intelligent design systems for digital shipbuilding. This will increase efficiency throughout the design and digital twin information delivery process, helping us deliver the innovative designs our customers demand.”
Jukka Rantala, CEO at CADMATIC, said: “This joint project represents an important milestone for shipbuilding as it enters the digital era. By combining our respective strengths and areas of expertise, this partnership is a major opportunity to enhance the role of design and information management tools in shipbuilding to support the industry’s performance via advanced digitalization. With an intelligent, integrated design and lifecycle management process, we can streamline shipbuilding processes, enhance collaboration and information accessibility in large and complex projects, and support commercial success.”
Mikko Kuosa, CEO of NAPA, said: “Shipping’s decarbonization transition is creating a sea change for shipyards, as new fuels and technologies bring an unprecedented level of complexity in the ship design process. In this context, having streamlined processes that facilitate communication and collaboration is essential to make fast-paced innovation possible, and ultimately create the new generation of vessels that will take maritime transport to net zero. To achieve this, it is critical to provide shipyards, naval architects and engineers with the right tools, making greater use of digital capabilities to enable teams to work efficiently and collaborate seamlessly as they explore new technological territories together.”
About Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD Hyundai)
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), founded by the late Chairman Chung Juyoung on March 23, 1972, wrote the first chapter in shipbuilding history by simultaneously completing the world’s largest shipyard and two 260,000 DWT VLCCs in June 1974. It swiftly ascended to become the world’s top shipyard within a decade of its establishment and has maintained the leading position in the world shipbuilding market ever since. HHI has diversified its business into offshore plants and engine machinery businesses based on the technological capabilities it has accumulated through its shipbuilding business transforming into a globally renowned comprehensive heavy industry company over the past 50 years. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will lead the ocean mobility market by developing highly efficient, eco-friendly ships and digital solutions, and pioneer the future of humanity by unlocking the limitless potential of the ocean.
About Cadmatic
Cadmatic is a leading developer of digital and intelligent 3D design and information management software solutions for the marine, power, process, and construction industries. It empowers engineers to build a brighter future and a better world by making the design, engineering, construction and operation of ships, industrial plants, and buildings better, faster and easier. Cadmatic has over 6000 customer organizations in 60 countries. For more information, visit www.cadmatic.com
About NAPA
With over 30 years of operation, NAPA is a leading software and data services provider for ship design and operations to enable safer, more sustainable, and future-proof maritime industry. Headquartered in Finland, NAPA employs 200 experts, combining expertise in naval architecture, fleet operations and digital services. NAPA operates globally, with a presence in Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, the USA, Germany, Greece, Romania and India.
With over 90% of new vessels built by NAPA customers, NAPA’s ship design software is the global de facto standard in shipbuilding. Furthermore, NAPA is a market leader in ship stability management and safety data services for passenger ships, and its cloud-based solutions for ship performance monitoring and voyage optimization support shipping’s decarbonization journey. For more information, visit: www.napa.fi