KAIST

KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced that it held an opening ceremony for the SHI–KAIST Advanced Maritime Research Center (AMRC) with Samsung Heavy Industries (Vice Chairman and CEO Sung-an Choi) on August 13 at the John Hannah Hall in KAIST Academic Cultural Complex on its main campus in Daejeon.

The new center marks a major milestone in the 32-year industry–academia partnership between the two institutions, which dates back to 1995. Building on more than three decades of joint research and mutual trust, KAIST and Samsung Heavy Industries are expanding their partnership through a joint research hub dedicated to developing key technologies for the future of the shipbuilding and offshore industries.

Through the center, the two institutions will jointly develop technologies that address industry needs in areas including AI, robotics, and green technologies. They will also work to bring research outcomes into industrial applications and develop highly skilled professionals.

“Physical AI that drives innovation in real-world industrial settings will be a determining factor in manufacturing competitiveness,” said KAIST President Choongsik Bae. “The shipbuilding and offshore industry is a prime field for creating new value through the convergence of mechanical engineering, AI, and robotics. I hope the center will grow into a research hub that addresses challenges facing industry and sets new benchmarks for future technologies.”

“It is especially meaningful to see our 32 years of collaboration with KAIST culminate in the establishment of the Advanced Maritime Research Center,” said Sung-an Choi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries. “We will further accelerate our efforts to secure technological competitiveness and foster talent for the future shipbuilding and offshore industry in areas including autonomous navigation, eco-friendly vessels, and smart manufacturing.”

To secure key technologies for the future shipbuilding and offshore industry, the center will conduct joint research in four areas. AI technologies for autonomous operation and intelligent navigation; propulsion systems using zero- and low-carbon fuels; manufacturing innovation for smart shipyards and digital twins; and robotics specialized for shipbuilding and offshore applications.

In autonomous navigation, researchers will develop AI algorithms for advanced autonomous navigation systems, including technologies for situational awareness, optimal route planning, and collision avoidance. The center will also conduct research on zero- and low-carbon fuels in response to international efforts toward carbon neutrality and the green transition of the shipping and shipbuilding industries. This work will focus on key vessel components and fuel-supply technologies for clean fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen.

In the area of smart shipyards, the center will use AI and digital twin technologies to optimize complex shipbuilding processes, including block erection and production management. This research aims to improve productivity and quality while reducing costs and energy consumption. In specialized maritime robotics, researchers will develop technologies to automate demanding on-site tasks such as welding, painting, and inspection. These technologies will help address the decline in the working-age population while improving worker safety and production efficiency.

Beyond technology development, the center will serve as a hub for training specialists who will lead the future maritime industry. The two institutions will use industry–academia cooperation funding and other resources to support student research and scholarship programs. They will also expand personnel exchange programs connecting industrial sites and research laboratories, thereby continuously fostering research talent with the practical, industry-relevant capabilities needed in the field.

The center was established on the foundation of more than three decades of cooperation between the two institutions. Their partnership began in 1995, when Samsung Heavy Industries’ Ship & Offshore Research Institute and KAIST’s Department of Mechanical Engineering established the SHI–KAIST Industry–Academia Cooperation Council. Since then, they have conducted joint research spanning the shipbuilding and offshore engineering fields—including structures, fluid dynamics, cryogenics, green technologies, smart ships, and autonomous navigation—and accumulated a broad base of foundational technologies.

The institutions have continued to strengthen the connection between research and industry through initiatives such as the Advisory Board program, industry-tailored courses, and joint SEED research projects. The number of collaborative projects and technical consulting cases conducted through the Advisory Board program has exceeded 1,000. The two institutions have also maintained active personnel exchanges through short-term researcher training and cooperative education programs.

Approximately 50 people attended the opening ceremony to celebrate the launch of the center, including KAIST President Choongsik Bae, faculty members and professors emeriti from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries Vice Chairman and CEO Sung-an Choi, and other executives and officials.