After advancing the development of eco-friendly fuel-powered vessels, South Korean mid-sized shipbuilder HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (formerly Hanjin Heavy Industries) is targeting the industry’s forefront, planning to further acquire autonomous navigation technology to accelerate its entry into the next-generation high-value-added ship market, thereby strengthening its order-winning advantage.
At the recently held Posidonia 2026 international maritime exhibition in Greece, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Avikus, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai Group specializing in autonomous shipping solutions, regarding the supply and technology of autonomous navigation solutions.
This agreement is a strategic move by both parties to proactively respond to the autonomous navigation vessel market, which has become a core issue in the global shipbuilding and shipping industry. Under the agreement, both parties will apply Avikus’s large commercial vessel Level 2 autonomous navigation solution “HiNAS Control” to ships built by HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, and further expand related technical cooperation.
“HiNAS Control” is an autonomous navigation system that utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to analyze optimal ship routes and improve navigation efficiency. It integrates information from various navigation devices and sensors, combining data from multiple navigation tools with Augmented Reality (AR) technology. It can automatically control the ship’s direction and speed without crew intervention, and also features collision avoidance assistance and route optimization functions. Real ship verification results show it can reduce carbon emissions by 15% and improve fuel efficiency by 15%.
“HiNAS Control” is considered a representative South Korean autonomous navigation solution successfully commercialized by Avikus in 2022. According to statistics, Avikus has provided “HiNAS Control” to over 350 vessels owned by domestic and international shipowners to date, including over 200 vessels for domestic shipowners such as SK Shipping, Sinokor Merchant Marine, H-Line Shipping, and Hyundai Glovis, covering ship types including Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOC), container ships, LNG carriers, and Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC). Additionally, there are over 100 retrofit projects for large vessels, covering tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships. Earlier this year, Avikus signed a supply contract for the “HiNAS Control” large vessel autonomous navigation system with HMM, South Korea’s largest shipping company, to be installed on 40 ships operated by HMM.
With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continuously strengthening environmental regulations and the acceleration of digital transformation in the global shipping industry, the global shipping market is gradually shifting towards eco-friendly and intelligent vessels. Autonomous navigation technology, in particular, is considered a core technology for the next-generation shipping industry, as it can not only enhance vessel safety but also achieve reduced fuel consumption and improved operational efficiency.
The shipbuilding industry generally believes that once autonomous navigation vessels are commercialized, they are expected to reduce fuel costs and labor costs, which account for a significant portion of commercial vessel operating expenses. Therefore, global shipbuilders and shipowners are currently accelerating their布局 in autonomous navigation technology.
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction plans to strengthen its competitiveness in the intelligent and digital vessel sectors through this cooperation with HD Hyundai Group, while gaining a stronger order-winning advantage in the future high-value-added ship market. Especially after the company’s conceptual design for a 10,000 TEU biofuel-powered container ship received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the Korean Register (KR), acquiring autonomous navigation technology will further expand its product portfolio in the eco-friendly and digital vessel fields.
South Korean shipbuilding industry observers believe that HJ Shipbuilding & Construction is expected to enhance its order competitiveness in the large and medium-sized commercial vessel market through technological differentiation, as demand for intelligent vessels integrating eco-friendly fuels and autonomous navigation technology is projected to continue growing.
Ryu Sang-cheol, CEO of HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, stated: “As the process of vessel unmanned operation accelerates, the importance of preemptively preparing for the future ship market is increasing. This cooperation with HD Hyundai Group has laid the foundation for the company’s development of autonomous navigation vessels. Going forward, we will continuously enhance our global competitiveness and seize the future ship market by persistently accumulating technology and project track records.”
