HD Hyundai is partnering with Germany’s Siemens to accelerate the digital transformation and modernization of the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
HD Hyundai announced on Sunday, Nov. 2, that it recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Siemens to drive the revitalization and modernization of the commercial shipbuilding industry in the United States of America.
Through this partnership, the two companies aim to enhance the overall competitiveness of the U.S shipbuilding industry by improving design quality, minimizing production risks, enhancing quality, and reducing costs. By combining HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding expertise with Siemens’ digital twins and business platform technologies, the collaboration seeks to accelerate the digitalization of production processes and maximize operational efficiency.
The partnership will drive gradual technological innovation across the shipbuilding sector by advancing the digitalization of ship design, automating block assembly and installation processes, and optimizing production, quality, and process management through data-driven solutions.
In addition to technology cooperation, the two companies will jointly develop professional training programs to cultivate skilled experts in shipbuilding. HD Hyundai plans to dispatch instructors to more than thirty Siemens training facilities across the United States to deliver field-oriented, hands-on education. Building on its existing academic partnerships with leading universities such as the University of Michigan (UM) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), HD Hyundai also plans to develop specialized curricula in engineering, digital design, and process automation. The parties also agreed to explore various opportunities for business cooperation and partnership expansion.
Since 2023, HD Hyundai has been jointly developing a manufacturing innovation platform with Siemens, a provider of industrial software, that integrates data from design to production within a single digital ecosystem. The platform enables virtual simulation of design and production processes, reducing trial and error while deriving optimized outcome.
The partnership is expected to accelerate the smart transformation of U.S. shipyards, enhancing shipbuilding competitiveness through improved quality, cost reduction, and minimized production risks.
“Maximizing production efficiency through digital and automation technologies is key to the reconstruction of the U.S. shipbuilding industry,” said Moon Sangmin, Head of Global Strategy at HD Hyundai. “HD Hyundai’s accumulated shipbuilding technology and Siemens’ digital capabilities will contribute to creating new opportunities for the U.S. shipbuilding industry.”
Meanwhile, HD Hyundai has been strengthening its cooperation network in the United States to advance the Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) initiative a symbol of Korea–U.S. shipbuilding collaboration. The company has established strategic partnerships with major U.S. players, including Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) in the naval sector and Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) in the commercial ship segment. HD Hyundai is also jointly promoting workforce development programs with leading universities such as Seoul National University, UM, and MIT.
