A South Korean shipbuilder has emerged as a prime example of how artificial intelligence is reshaping heavy industry, as German tech giant Siemens and AI giant Nvidia deepen their collaboration in industrial AI systems.
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Siemens CEO Roland Busch and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang cited HD Hyundai as a real-world example of how digital twin technology can be used to create full digital replicas of shipyards and vessels, transforming the entire production process.
The remarks were made as Siemens and Nvidia announced a partnership to develop an Industrial AI Operating System, designed to support AI-powered applications across the entire production lifecycle.
“Talking about what we achieved, I brought an example, HD Hyundai,” Busch said. “They build ships, huge ships and shipyards, and they use our technology.”
HD Hyundai is using Siemens digital twins and business platform technologies to digitalize production processes and maximize operational efficiency, Through Siemens technology, HD Hyundai can create highly detailed virtual replicas of ships and production environments before construction starts.#
“This is a digital twin of an entire ship; every nut and bolt is in there,” Huang said. “This is the full CAD of the ship, a perfect presized digital twin.”
Busch explained that the simulations go beyond hardware to incorporate human workflows, reflecting the complexity of modern shipbuilding. While vessels may share the same hull design, every ship is fundamentally unique and requires a precise design.
"The ships look alike, so the body is the same, but each of them are individual. So you have to be very clear about how you design it," he said.
"You optimize it in the digital world and then you build it. And that’s where our whole stack comes together, complementing technology."
Huang described the HD Hyundai project as a "perfect example of" Siemens and Nvidia's partnership, which integrates engineering, computing, electronics and software into a single virtual environment.
He added that future versions could replicate real-world operations, including how a vessel performs at sea.
“I hope the digital twin of the ship will actually be put into a virtual ocean and see it completely operate,” Huang said.
sahn@heraldcorp.com
