Ulsan City Obtains International Certification for 6 Types of Domestically Produced Navigational Communication Equipment

Ulsan City and the Ulsan ICT Promotion Agency (UIPA) have obtained international classification certification (MED: Marine Equipment Directive) for six types of localised maritime navigation and communication equipment, including ship radar.

This achievement is part of the "AI-based Ship Logistics Platform and Navigation System Demonstration” project, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), and Ulsan City, and managed by the Ulsan ICT Promotion Agency.

On the 20th, UIPA announced that it had obtained international certification for six types of maritime navigation and communication equipment developed in the first and second years of the project during its third year of implementation.

The certified equipment includes ship radar, a Marine PC & Monitor for the Integrated Navigation System, an autopilot system, an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), a Bridge Alert Management System (BAMS), and a Conning Information Display (CID).

UIPA plans to complete the advancement of the AI-based Integrated Navigation System (AI-INS) this year and aims to acquire additional international certifications next year.

The "AI-based Ship Logistics Platform and Navigation System Demonstration" project, which started in 2021 and will continue for four years until next year, aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the ICT-converged shipbuilding and shipping industry. With a total project cost of 43 billion KRW (28 billion from the national government, 4 billion from local funds, and 11 billion from private investment), the project focuses on digitising and integrating operational and logistics information of cargo ships and developing a digital logistics platform, maritime navigation and communication equipment, and an Integrated Navigation System (INS).

In the third year of the project, international certification for the maritime navigation and communication equipment developed in the first and second years was obtained, along with the development of P2P (Port to Port) digital logistics platform technology and application services, the establishment of infrastructure for the onshore data centre (tentatively named the K-Ship Data Centre), development of operation solutions, and conducting land and sea testing.

The "P2P (Port-to-port) Digital Logistics Platform" is a system that provides rapid and accurate information and a variety of services to stakeholders in the maritime logistics sector, such as cargo owners, shipping companies, cargo demanders, and logistics support companies. Following detailed design work this year, the platform’s development and implementation will be completed next year.

The platform will be initially used for coastal transportation of heavy cargo such as ship steel plates. From 2024, practical demonstrations linking the digital logistics platform and navigation and communication equipment will be carried out, followed by the expansion of the platform's use to small shipping companies handling various types of cargo.

The "Onshore Data Centre" began construction in June in Ulsan’s Dong-gu district and has now achieved more than 60% progress. The centre, built with 4 billion KRW in local funds, will cover a site area of 1,462 square metres, with a total floor area of 853 square metres, and is expected to be completed in April next year.

Key facilities will include a training and seminar room on the first floor, a startup support office for individual businesses on the second floor, and a ship operation control room on the third floor. The centre will establish an advanced computing environment for collecting and managing ship data, integrating various types of information such as radar data, weather information, operational information, engine data, and CCTV footage.

The "Land and Sea Demonstration Tests" involve testing the developed technology and products on both land and sea to verify their commercial viability. This year, the ship Ulsan Taehwa was used for international classification certification tests, and two ships were modified as maritime demonstration vessels to secure a maritime testing bed.

There have also been notable achievements in the commercialisation of products developed in the first and second years. MRC, a participating company, delivered the intelligent AI-based Integrated Navigation System (AI-INS) to a 3,000-ton Coast Guard patrol ship, generating 605 million KRW in sales. In addition, it achieved its target of developing five prototypes, completed mock-up development and user verification, filed one patent application with four others in progress, published three academic papers, and registered three software programs.

Next year, UIPA will focus on acquiring international classification certification for the intelligent Integrated Navigation System, completing the Onshore Data Centre, and expanding land and sea demonstration tests in the fourth year of the project. As it is the final year of the project, efforts will be concentrated on building a track record for the developed technologies and products to accelerate commercialisation after the project ends.

As a follow-up project, the Ministry of Science and ICT and NIPA plan to promote the "Development of Digital New Services for Shipbuilding and Shipping and Data Business Model Demonstration Project," which aims to collect operational data from ships operating in both domestic and international waters to respond to carbon emission regulations.