Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (Hexagon), a global leader in digital reality solutions combining sensors, software, and autonomous technologies, has presented a path to bridge the digital divide in the domestic shipbuilding industry.

Hexagon announced on the 20th that it had presented on the domestic shipbuilding industry's 'digital transformation and smart strategy' at the 'Forum on Strengthening Future Competitiveness of Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment' held at the Grand Chosun Hotel in Haeundae, Busan.

With this announcement, Hexagon presents a path for the entire ecosystem to grow, allowing companies of all sizes, from large corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises, to bridge the gap.

At the 'Forum on Strengthening Future Competitiveness of Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment', Hexagon shared its digital transformation direction and smart manufacturing process using measurement data from products, facilities, and factories, as well as its digital transformation (DX) strategy based on spatial information.

Through the current status of digital technologies already actively utilized in global manufacturing sites and examples of practical applications, the shipbuilding and equipment industries can modernize manufacturing workflows by concentrating data dispersed by manufacturing process and apply automation and autonomous technologies to processes. We shared various use cases to strengthen automation and unmanned operation capabilities and reduce inefficiencies that may arise from lack of specialized personnel and complex processes.

This forum on strengthening future competitiveness of shipbuilding and marine equipment was hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, and organized by the Korea Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment Research Institute, Gyeongnam Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment Cooperative, Busan Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment Industry Cooperative, and Korea Shipbuilding and Marine Plant Association. A total of 150 people including major domestic shipyards such as Samsung Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, as well as shipbuilding and marine equipment manufacturing and research institutions, participated.

Amidst the prolonged slump in the shipbuilding industry over the past few years, the recent news of large-scale orders from major domestic shipbuilders has been reported one after another, and this was prepared to enhance the global competitiveness of the domestic shipbuilding and equipment industry, which is seeking a future leap forward and entering a second heyday.

Na Young-woo, chairman of the Gyeongnam Shipbuilding & Marine Equipment Cooperative, said, “The future competitiveness of the domestic shipbuilding industry depends on the successful digital transformation of the industry and the resolution of the current gap between shipyards and the equipment industry.” He added, “We will do our best to seek research and practical measures for the revival of the domestic shipbuilding industry by putting our heads together with various stakeholders through continuous exchanges.”

“We understand that there are high expectations for the shipbuilding industry, which is a representative export industry of Korea,” said Hong Seok-kwan, Vice President of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Measurement Solutions Business Unit. “We will do our best to cooperate as a strong partner so that domestic shipbuilding SMEs that have not yet sufficiently transformed digitally can find the solutions they need and automate them to achieve autonomy through our excellent technology and know-how verified in manufacturing sites at home and abroad.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the seminar in which Hexagon participated, Gyeongnam Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment Cooperative announced the ‘Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment Digital Collaboration Platform Project’.Professor Seungnam Park of Ulsan University, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Heavy Industries shared the current status of the domestic shipbuilding industry and plans for digitalization.