HJ Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Avikus sign MOU for autonomous navigation solutions

HJ Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Avikus have signed a memorandum of understanding on the supply of autonomous navigation solutions and technology cooperation, as the shipbuilder moves to build vessels equipped with autonomous navigation technology — widely regarded as a next-generation, high-value asset.

The two companies said Monday that HJ Heavy Industries CEO Yoo Sang-chul and HD Hyundai Avikus CEO Kang Jae-ho signed the MOU on Wednesday at Posidonia, the international shipping exhibition being held at the Metropolitan Expo Centre in Athens, Greece. HD Hyundai Avikus is a subsidiary HD Hyundai established in 2020 to specialize in autonomous navigation solutions for ships.

Under the agreement, HJ Heavy Industries will install HiNAS Control — HD Hyundai Avikus's Level 2 autonomous navigation solution for large commercial vessels — on ships it develops and builds, while the two companies cooperate on technology development. HD Hyundai Avikus developed HiNAS Control using AI and Internet of Things technology, and the system was successfully commercialized in 2022.

As demand for autonomous vessels grows in the global shipping and shipbuilding market, competition to develop smart-ship technology that maximizes navigational safety and efficiency is intensifying. An HJ Heavy Industries official said the MOU was aimed at strengthening the company's technological competitiveness in the smart-ship and digital vessel sectors while proactively expanding the application of autonomous navigation technology to secure a foothold in the next-generation, high-value ship market.

Autonomous vessels have drawn strong interest from the shipping industry because they can significantly cut fuel and labor costs, which together account for 80 percent of commercial ship operating expenses. In South Korea, the government and major shipbuilders are conducting research and testing to accumulate operational data.

"As vessel unmanning advances rapidly, the need to prepare for the future ship market is growing," HJ Heavy Industries CEO Yoo said. "This agreement lays the foundation for developing autonomous vessels, and we will build a track record going forward to raise our technological capabilities."