November 21, 2024

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HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun (left) and Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon pose for a photograph after signing a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in cloud and artificial intelligence business in Sejong on Monday. (HD Hyundai)

HD Hyundai has teamed up with Naver to accelerate its digital transformation, the South Korean shipbuilding giant said Monday.

According to the announcement, representatives from the South Korean shipbuilding conglomerate and the country’s information technology giant signed a memorandum of understanding to bolster the former’s cloud transformation and artificial intelligence business at the latter’s second data center, known as Gak Sejong, in the the city of Sejong.

Under the partnership, over 200 million pieces of information stored in HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding and ocean engineering database will be applied with Naver’s large language model HyperClova X to create generative AI services to maximize efficiency and expertise.

The two companies will push for transforming HD Hyundai’s self-established online infrastructure into Naver’s cloud platform.

“Team Naver's stable cloud infrastructure and proven AI technology will be a catalyst for advancing HD Hyundai's future vision of ocean transformation,” said HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun.

“We hope that the partnership between the two companies will expand to various sectors."

HD Hyundai and Naver already began working on a joint project known as the Meta Ocean Data Cloud in the second half of last year. The Meta Ocean Data Cloud, which is set for an official launch soon, is a comprehensive ocean data platform that will collect operational data from ships worldwide and provide necessary information to shipowners.

HD Hyundai Marine Solution, the shipbuilding conglomerate’s ocean solutions affiliate, will utilize the data collected through the Meta Ocean Data Cloud to advance its next-generation smart ship solution and push for commercializing OceanWise, the company’s decarbonizing solution.

Through this, HD Hyundai Marine Solution will offer services that can control the operations and management of sailing ships and provide solutions and consultations.

HD Hyundai will also implement Naver’s AI technology to develop an AI chatbot that can respond to inquiries about ships and engines.

According to the memorandum, the two sides plan to explore various new business opportunities in the future.

“We hope that the two companies can grow together by combining Naver’s technology and infrastructure with HD Hyundai’s knowledge assets, business capabilities and rich experiences amassed in the fields of shipbuilding and ocean engineering for a long time and creating new business models,” said Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon.

“Team Naver will continue to be the best partner that aids various companies’ digital transformation.”

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)