By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- HD Hyundai Co. said Wednesday it has deployed its intelligent welding system at Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) shipyard in the United States as part of a pilot project aimed at expanding the two companies' shipbuilding partnership.

The holding company of South Korea's leading shipbuilding group said the project is designed to improve productivity at the American shipyard in Mississippi.

The initiative follows up on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) the two companies signed in April last year to enhance shipbuilding productivity and cooperate on advanced shipbuilding technologies, including shipyard automation and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Under the project, HD Hyundai will install its in-house developed intelligent welding system at the HII facility. The technology is being used at the group's facilities, including those run by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHI) and HD Hyundai Samho Co.

HD Hyundai has been expanding its partnership with HII, the largest U.S. military shipbuilder, as part of its efforts to strengthen its presence in the U.S. naval shipbuilding market.

"This pilot extends that automation footprint further into the production process and to a greater share of the workforce," Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette said in a release.

"Working with HHI allows us to expand targeted automation functions and integrate shared best practices as we continue delivering the most capable ships to the U.S. Navy," he added.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

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