Hanwha Ocean to design digital vessels with ABS

South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean Co. on Sunday announced its conclusion of a basic accord with the Houston-based American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to test and verify digital production technology, cybersecurity, self-navigation and smart ship solutions.

The company’s strategy is to boost output efficiency by verifying digital shipbuilding technology through 2026.

Digital shipbuilding uses virtual reality (VR) in all production phases. Through ABS certification, Hanwha Ocean can greatly raise the reputation of its products to win orders more easily from global shipping companies.

The ABS seal of approval can also give the shipbuilder a huge advantage on the rapidly growing global market for autonomous vessels and cut costs by streamlining production efficiency.

Under the agreement, Hanwha Ocean will perform joint research to certify its own smart shipyard and vessel technologies. Its first mission is to get evaluation approval for product design and manufacturing for its self-developed system of vessel draft measurement system based on artificial intelligence analysis of images.

Next comes technical cooperation to secure certification for remote vessel inspection and cybersecurity as well as safety and economic operation measures by the smart ship solution HS4.

Write to Mi-Sun Kang at misunny@hankyung.com