HJ Heavy Industries Partners with HD Hyundai Avikus for Autonomous Vessel Collaboration

MOU Signed at Posidonia
Introduction of AI-Based Autonomous Navigation Solutions
Expansion of Digital Vessel Technology Cooperation

HJ Heavy Industries announced on June 8 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HD Hyundai Avikus for the supply of autonomous navigation solutions and technical cooperation.

On the 4th, at the Posidonia 2026 international maritime exhibition held at the Metropolitan Expo Center in Athens, Greece, Sangchul Yoo, CEO of HJ Heavy Industries (left in the photo), and Jaeho Kang, CEO of HD Hyundai Avikus, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement. HJ Heavy Industries

The two companies held a signing ceremony on June 4 at the Posidonia 2026 international maritime exhibition, which took place at the Metropolitan Expo Center in Athens, Greece, with Yusang Chul, CEO of HJ Heavy Industries, and Jaeho Kang, CEO of HD Hyundai Avikus, in attendance. HD Hyundai Avikus is a dedicated subsidiary specializing in autonomous navigation solutions, established by HD Hyundai in 2020.

Under this agreement, the two companies will apply HD Hyundai Avikus’s phase 2 autonomous navigation solution for large merchant ships, "HiNAS Control," to vessels built by HJ Heavy Industries, and will also expand related technical cooperation. HiNAS Control, which was developed based on artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, was successfully commercialized in 2022.

Recently, as digital transformation and the demand for autonomous vessels have grown in the global shipbuilding and shipping industries, competition has intensified over smart ship technologies that enhance safety and operational efficiency.

With this agreement, HJ Heavy Industries plans to strengthen its competitiveness in the smart ship and digital vessel sectors, broaden the scope of its autonomous navigation technology applications, and proactively respond to the future high value-added vessel market.

Yusang Chul, CEO of HJ Heavy Industries, stated, "As unmanned vessels are advancing rapidly, it is becoming increasingly important to respond proactively to the future ship market. Through this agreement, we will continue to build our track record and technological capabilities in the field of autonomous vessels."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.