Hyundai Heavy to showcase autonomous ship at CES 2022

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, the world’s largest shipbuilder, is set to showcase its latest and next-generation mobility technology related to self-operating vessels, at the upcoming US trade show.

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the flagship unit of the South Korean conglomerate, said on Monday it is participating in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to be held Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas.

It marks the first time for the shipbuilding group to showcase its marine technology at the CES, it said.

At the trade show, Hyundai Heavy said it will unveil its autonomous ship-related technology as well as its vision for a hydrogen value chain in the shipbuilding industry.

The shipbuilder said earlier it will commercialize leisure boats with autonomous navigation systems next year. Its in-house startup Avikus is currently developing artificial intelligence-based remote-control technology for ships.

In June, Avikus successfully completed a pilot test of a small self-operating ship in a Korean canal.

"The autonomous navigation technology will not only allow easier access to maritime leisure activities, but also provide innovations in logistics, and transform all aspects of marine development from probing for resources, eliminating pollution, to marine ecology studies," the company said on Monday.

GROWING AUTONOMOUS SHIP MARKET

The global autonomous ship market is forecast to nearly double in size to 180 trillion won ($152 billion) by 2025 from an estimated 95 trillion won this year, according to government data.

Chung Ki-sun, who was promoted to the chief executive post at both Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co. and the group’s intermediate shipbuilding holding company Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE), during the group management reshuffle in October, will be present at the CES to lead the group’s exhibition activities.

Chung, the group’s heir apparent, is a third-generation member of Hyundai Heavy’s founding family.

The group’s two other major affiliates, Hyundai Doosan Infracore Co. and Hyundai Construction Equipment Co., will also showcase their robotic industrial equipment and remote-control technology at the trade show.

Hyundai Robotics Co., the group’s industrial automation unit, will display various service robots that can provide everyday robotic solutions at the trade show, according to the group.

Write to Kyung-Min Kang at Kkm1026@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.