HJ造船牵头韩美AI搅拌摩擦焊军舰面板联合研发项目

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (097230) has been selected as the lead organization for a Korea-US joint shipbuilding research and development (R&D) project and will conduct joint R&D with a US research institution.
HJ Shipbuilding said on the 24th that it signed a cooperation agreement with San Diego State University (SDSU), its US counterpart joint R&D institution, at the opening ceremony of the "Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Partnership Center" held in Washington, D.C. on the 23rd.
The project is part of the shipbuilding and marine industry core technology development program that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy opened for applications last month. Among the eight Korea-US joint R&D projects selected by the government, HJ Shipbuilding will exclusively handle the artificial intelligence (AI)-linked field, "Development of a Physical AI-Linked Friction Stir Welding (FSW) System for Autonomous Manufacturing of Aluminum Warship Panels."
FSW, drawing attention as a next-generation welding technology, joins metals using frictional heat and pressure without melting them. It enables high-strength, high-quality welding on aluminum panels, which are difficult to weld and hard to achieve with conventional arc welding. In particular, its excellent energy efficiency and processing stability are expected to enable improved fuel efficiency and carbon reduction through lighter vessels.
As the lead organization, HJ Shipbuilding will handle the development of AI-based friction stir welding process optimization technology together with the Research Institute of Medium & Small Shipbuilding and Kyungpook National University. San Diego State University and domestic company Sanglim MSP will handle the design and manufacturing of system hardware and tools. Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and Kangnam will also participate as demand organizations to enhance the effectiveness of the developed technology.
The cooperation is being carried out as part of "MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again)," a Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation project. Through continuous technology exchange with local shipyards and research institutions, synergy effects are expected not only with the Research Institute of Medium & Small Shipbuilding's project to support materials entering the US market, but also with the US warship maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business.
HJ Shipbuilding believes that securing high-quality solid-state joining source technology through this R&D will have ripple effects on related industries such as space, aviation, and manufacturing, as well as a positive impact on technology support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the defense and shipbuilding sectors and on building a manufacturing ecosystem.
Yoo Sang-chul, CEO of HJ Shipbuilding, stressed, "This cooperation will become a symbolic case of combining the strengths of both countries to secure future technological competitiveness and jointly leading the eco-friendly and digital transformation." He added, "Through close cooperation among shipyards, companies, and research institutions in both countries, we will accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation core technologies and create a new growth model that generates demand in the global market."