HD Hyundai, Naver join forces to build AI ecosystem for shipbuilding

HD Hyundai and Naver Cloud have agreed to jointly build an AI ecosystem for the shipbuilding industry.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai's shipbuilding operations, announced Monday that it had signed a Physical AI-Based Shipbuilding Business Innovation MOU with Naver Cloud at Naver's data center in Sejong.

The signing ceremony was attended by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CEO Kim Hyeong-gwan, Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won, and executives and officials from both companies.

The two companies will collaborate across a range of areas, including shipbuilding-specific AI and cloud infrastructure, integrated power infrastructure for data centers, software-defined vessels, physical AI and robotics, and digital education.

Through a customized cloud environment and AI factory for the shipbuilding sector, the two companies plan to drive digital transformation across all areas of the business — from design and production to research and development.

They also plan to establish a joint specialist team to identify AI use cases, verify technologies and carry out personnel exchanges, including the training of skilled professionals.

Cooperation will extend to power infrastructure for data centers. The core effort involves leveraging HD Hyundai's eco-friendly engine technology, energy storage systems, hydrogen fuel cells and other clean energy solutions to build a power supply chain for data center operations.

The companies will also work toward realizing a smart shipyard powered by physical AI. They plan to jointly develop and validate AI models that integrate vessel data platforms with AI software and robotics. The collaboration will further expand into software-defined vessels, enabling ships to be controlled and operated through software even after construction is complete.

"As the world faces a sweeping shift toward global AI transformation, establishing an AI foundation optimized for the shipbuilding industry is critically important," Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won said. "Together with HD Hyundai, we will build a shipbuilding-specific cloud environment and create an AI innovation model that can be extended to other industries."

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CEO Kim Hyeong-gwan said the company would "build a shipbuilding-specific AI ecosystem by combining Naver's AI technology with HD Hyundai's database of more than 200 million shipbuilding and marine records." He added that the company aimed to "successfully complete the construction of an AI-driven intelligent smart shipyard and lead the future vessel market."