HD Hyundai has selected Siemens Xcelerator as the foundation for a new integrated digital shipbuilding platform, as part of its “Future of Shipyard” programme aimed at modernising design and production processes across its global facilities.
The agreement was made with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), the group’s intermediate holding company for shipbuilding and offshore engineering operations. The platform is intended to manage the full shipbuilding lifecycle through a single, connected data flow, linking design, engineering and production functions.
The digital platform will act as the core infrastructure for HD Hyundai’s Future of Shipyard project, which is scheduled for phased development through to 2030. The initiative is designed to address long-standing data gaps between design and manufacturing stages and to establish a more structured digital environment for shipyard operations.
The system will be built on the Siemens Xcelerator open digital business platform and is planned to provide a unified data backbone across multiple software and operational domains. These include computer-aided design, product lifecycle management, digital manufacturing, automation and simulation tools. By connecting these areas, the platform is intended to allow shipyard planning, construction, expansion and modification work to be reviewed in a virtual environment before physical implementation.
Taejin Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Innovation Office at HD Hyundai said:The selection of Siemens Xcelerator represents an important milestone in advancing HD KSOE’s digital shipbuilding strategy. By establishing an integrated digital platform that ensures consistency from design through production, we aim to address long-standing data discontinuity challenges and create a more structured and collaborative shipbuilding environment. This initiative will strengthen our ability to execute increasingly complex projects while enhancing efficiency, quality and competitiveness across our global shipyard operations.
As part of the rollout, the company plans to manage block assembly, welding, piping and electrical information within integrated 3D models. This model-based structure is intended to support design validation, production planning and shop-floor process control.
The scope of the platform is expected to cover a range of vessel categories, including commercial ships and specialised vessels. Planned applications include equipment and component data management, performance analysis based on digital models, lifecycle maintenance engineering and technical support for overseas shipbuilding projects.
HD Hyundai also plans to use Siemens Digital Twin Composer software to create photorealistic digital representations of ships and shipyard environments within an industrial metaverse framework. These virtual environments are intended for decision-making, training and collaboration, using physics-based simulation and artificial intelligence models trained on synthetic and industrial data.
Tony Hemmelgarn, president and CEO, Siemens Digital Industries Software said:Since 2022, Siemens’ collaboration with HD Hyundai has been focused on the future of shipbuilding and the development of next-generation digital design and production platforms. Siemens Xcelerator and our comprehensive digital twin technologies are well-positioned to support a unified digital thread across design, engineering and production. We look forward to helping HD Hyundai establish a scalable, open and future-ready manufacturing innovation platform that supports sustainable growth and operational excellence.
Implementation is expected to proceed in phases starting in 2026, with initial application to operational vessels targeted from 2028 onward. Representatives from both companies said the partnership will focus on establishing a scalable and interoperable digital framework for shipbuilding operations.
