Korea Ocean Business Corp. to expand AI support for small shipping firms, launch field pilots in August

Korea Ocean Business Corp. will begin AI readiness assessments, consulting and proof-of-concept field pilots for small shipping companies next month as part of a push to strengthen the sector's AI capabilities. The state-backed maritime finance agency is also introducing vessel smartness diagnostics for the first time and developing a maritime-specific large language model to help smaller carriers make the transition.

The agency announced the outcomes Thursday from its second Maritime Industry AI Transformation Working Council of 2026, held Wednesday at LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul. About 50 participants attended, including mid-sized carriers SK Shipping and Hyundai LNG Shipping, 16 smaller shipping firms, maritime AI providers and LG AI Research.

The agency expanded and restructured a working group it has operated since 2023 to increase participation from staff at smaller shipping companies. The council shared plans for AI transformation support projects and this year's implementation schedule, and unveiled a vessel smartness diagnostic program.

Starting next month, the agency will partner with LG CNS to offer AI readiness assessments and consulting to interested shipping companies. It will also move forward with pilot projects to apply AI to actual business operations and verify results.

This year, the agency is for the first time including vessels — the core assets of shipping companies — in its AI diagnostics scope. The program will assess the smartness level of ships' perception and communication systems, autonomous navigation and control functions to improve safety and operational efficiency. Diagnostic results will serve as baseline data for tailored support and policy development.

The agency also plans to expand a dedicated platform connecting AI providers with shipping companies, developing it into a full maritime AI transformation platform covering everything from information search to pilot testing, adoption and scale-up. It will also work with LG AI Research to conduct field trials of a maritime-specific LLM built on the Exaone large AI model.

"Because the benefits of AI transformation tend to concentrate in large shipping companies with abundant capital and personnel, securing AI competitiveness for smaller carriers is more important than anything," said An Byeong-gil, president of Korea Ocean Business Corp. "We will continue to expand AI diagnostics, pilot programs and tailored support to close the AI gap across the maritime industry."