Bid To Boost EU Yard Efficiency

The remit for the eight partners in the Smart European Shipbuilding (SEUS) initiative is to develop and test an integrated digital platform incorporating computer-aided engineering/design/manufacturing (CAE/CAD/CAM) and product data management (PDM) software. By melding the various elements into a single, innovative operating hub, ship construction efficiency is expected to be taken to a new level.

The new platform solution will be built using the expertise provided by industrial and academic participants in the research consortium, including shipyards from Norway and Spain, together with specialists in computational tools. The SEUS working groups will draw up novel practices for data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) design features, intelligent technology, human-centric knowledge management, and the Industry 5.0 concept tailored to a shipbuilding environment.

Industry 5.0 complements the existing Industry 4.0 approach by specifically applying research and innovation to the transition towards what the European Commission describes as “sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry”.

In practical terms, the ambition is to achieve up to a 30% time-saving in engineering and up to a 20% time-saving in assembly and construction at European shipyards. The elimination of gaps in digital information flows and the optimisation of work processes present the area for time and cost optimisation, promising significant economic impacts on shipbuilding.

The SEUS consortium comprises eight organisations from five countries, under the project coordination of the Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NTNU) in Trondheim. The partners include the Finnish-headquartered software developer Cadmatic and technology end-users in the shape of Ulstein Group of Norway and Astilleros Gondan in northern Spain, both of whom are identified with higher added-value tonnage.

Accessing the Horizon Europe programme, the EU is sponsoring SEUS to the tune of over 80%, through a total contribution of approximately EUR7m ($7.6m) towards the project budget of EUR8.6m ($9.3m). The recipients of the single largest grants are NTNU, with an allocation of EUR2m ($2.2m), and Cadmatic, awarded EUR1.6m ($1.7m). Implemented at the outset of January 2023, SEUS is to be completed by 31 December 2026.

Each work package under the endeavour will contribute to the overarching aim of a computational platform solution, facilitating the digital transformation of shipbuilding. Through the participation of shipbuilders, the project will be grounded in pragmatism by developing a new computational toolset that takes due account of users’ actual needs, inter-operability, and support processes for project management.

The envisaged digital platform is also expected to benefit shipyards’ long-term business potential, in terms of future retrofits and technological updating of delivered newbuilds.