SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (HD KSOE) said Friday it has signed an agreement with a Siemens business unit to adopt an artificial intelligence (AI) platform for shipbuilding.

The agreement marks a key step in HD KSOE's efforts to develop an AI-powered shipyard and accelerate the digital transformation of the shipbuilding industry.

The next-generation marine platform, jointly developed by HD KSOE and Siemens Digital Industries Software, is designed to build an autonomous manufacturing system that digitally connects the entire shipbuilding process, from vessel design and production to supply chain management and maintenance, HD KSOE said in a press release.

"By integrating AI, digital twin and automation technologies into a connected digital shipyard environment, we aim to establish a future-ready model for the shipbuilding industry," HD KSOE President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kim Hyung-kwan said.

Through the platform, shipyards will be able to transmit design changes and real-time production updates directly to the shop floor and across the supply chain, enabling faster, more informed decision-making to help prevent schedule delays and quality issues, the company said.

"By combining Siemens' digital capabilities with HD Hyundai's operational excellence, we can help shipbuilders improve throughput, quality and workforce productivity while strengthening the global competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry," Siemens President and CEO Tony Hemmelgarn said.

HD KSOE is the intermediate holding company of South Korean shipbuilding group HD Hyundai Co. Its affiliates include HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co.

The signing took place in Washington on Thursday (U.S. time) on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC), a platform established to advance the "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA) initiative aimed at revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

Under the MASGA initiative, Seoul has agreed to invest US$150 billion to help revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry as part of a broader $350 billion investment commitment to the United States.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr

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