U.S. Navy officials, HD Hyundai discuss advanced shipyards during research center visit

Senior officials from the U.S. Navy visited HD Hyundai's global research center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi, on Friday and discussed further cooperative avenues in making environmentally friendly and digital shipyards.

Thomas J. Anderson, center, the U.S. Navy's program executive officer for ships, and William Greene, second from left, commander of the Navy Regional Maintenance Center, take a photo while their visit to HD Hyundai's global research center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi on Friday. [HD HYUNDAI]

Senior officials from the U.S. Navy visited HD Hyundai's global research center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi, on Friday and discussed further cooperative avenues in making environmentally friendly and digital shipyards.

The Korean shipbuilder said Sunday that 13 top officials from the U.S. Navy and U.S. embassy, including Thomas J. Anderson, the U.S. Navy's program executive officer for ships, and William Greene, commander of the Navy Regional Maintenance Center, visited the center and were briefed about HD Hyundai's innovative technologies in green and digital shipyards.

HD Hyundai's capabilities in developing AI-based shipyard solutions and hybrid electric ships were introduced, as well as its strategies for maintaining, repairing and operating foreign naval vessels.

The visit will "serve as an opportunity to expand HD Hyundai's cooperation with the U.S. Navy on naval shipbuilding," said Joo Won-ho, head of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' naval and special ship business unit.

Anderson visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Ulsan in February last year and checked the naval vessels under construction.

HD Hyundai's cooperation with the United States is growing. Philip Goldberg, U.S. ambassador to Korea, visited HD Hyundai Heavy's Ulsan shipyard in July to explore avenues for the shipbuilder’s collaboration with the U.S. Navy.

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro also visited the Ulsan shipyard in February, which later led to a collaboration between HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the University of Michigan and Seoul National University to foster global talent in the shipbuilding sector.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]