SHI and Microsoft join forces for shipyard digitalisation

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has formed a strategic partnership with the compatriot software company Microsoft Korea to digitalise its shipyards.

Under the agreement, SHI will utilise Microsoft’s cloud-based IT solutions and technical expertise to accelerate the transition to low-cost and high-efficiency shipyards.

In 2019, SHI established a digital transformation strategy named “Smart Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI)” which promotes business innovation by using digital technology across all areas of the shipyard, including design, production, and purchasing.

It utilises Microsoft’s technology to increase productivity and build a mobile work environment based on a high-speed wireless network in the Geoje shipyard.

As part of this partnership, Microsoft will provide its cloud computing service Azure, artificial intelligence (AI), collaboration software Teams and metaverse technology to SHI which plans to gather all data and information from each sector into a digital virtual space.

“The ultimate goal of “Smart SHI” is the digital transformation that processes all information in the shipyard with advanced IT technology”, said Bae Jin-Han, CFO of SHI Management Support Office.

Lee Ji-Eun, CEO of Microsoft Korea, added: “We plan to actively cooperate so that SHI’s digital transformation can become a representative IT innovation success story in the shipbuilding and offshore industry through the latest technologies and solutions based on Microsoft Cloud”.