HMM, SHI team up on smart ship technology

South Korean shipping company HMM has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with compatriot shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) on smart ship technology.

Under the MoU, HMM and SHI plan to collaborate in the research, development and innovation in the field of smart ship solutions.

As informed, the MoU mainly covers the development of eco-friendly technologies applicable for smart ships and the enhancement of technological competence related to the digitalisation of ships.

As part of this partnership, HMM has adopted ‘SVESSEL’, an advanced smart ship solution developed by SHI. The cloud-based SVESSEL has been applied to five out of twelve 24,000 TEU mega containerships delivered to HMM this year. HMM will test operational data on its own container vessels.

Specifically, SVESSEL aims to expedite the transition from analog-based conventional ships into intelligent and life-cycle managed ships through the convergence between ICT and ship operational technology. This solution provides a variety of features such as vessel & fleet tracking, onboard data analysis, collaborative maintenance, monitoring of propulsion performance etc.

“Both digitalisation and decarbonisation have become integral factors on the pathway to sustainable growth. HMM has concentrated on the exploration of new technologies for the future and has actively participated in various discussions with the parties concerned,” an HMM official said.

“We look forward to taking this partnership to the next level with great synergy.”

In addition, HMM is preparing to operate a Smart Ship Control Centre that enables to monitor the safety and efficiency of ships in real time based on an extensive range of data including cargo information, service routes, locations, ocean weather and vessel conditions.

The centre is scheduled to be in full operation from mid-September this year.

A year ago, HMM also joined forces with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in the field of smart ship technologies. Within the MOU, the duo said it would conduct research on real-time service system based on IoT, design on-shore platforms for optimised fleet operation as well as develop automated warehousing systems for ship materials and development of economic navigation solutions.