HHI teams up with tech giants Intel, Microsoft to create smart ship eco-system

Under a memorandum of understanding signed by the five partners, the aim is to help domestic small and medium-sized information and communications technology companies develop ’17 Ship Service Software’ for meeting the needs of shipowers for safe ship operation and improved crew well-being.

The Ship Service Software that is planned to be developed and applied to smart ships by 2019 will enable ballast tank inspection, remote medical treatment services for crews, virtual reality training, automatic voyage information reporting, and maintenance for key equipment.

HHI and SK Shipping will provide technological mentoring services and smart ship platforms for the to-be-developed software while UCCEI and DCCEI will conduct briefing sessions on technology demand for shipbuilders and liners to encourage the participation of the relevant companies.

An HHI official said: “The Korean shipbuilding industry has developed on the back of the advanced manufacturing technology but now is the time for us to shift our focus to differentiated ship service technologies. We see that customized and value-added software will play a role in reviving the industry.”

In May this year, HHI and Accenture jointly unveiled OceanLink, its version of smart ship featuring a network of sensors and analytics software to monitor ship performance and condition in real-time.