CSSC Shanghai and CSSC Research Institute, two units of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), have entered into an agreement with investment companies Citic International and Shenzhen Baize to establish a joint venture to engage in the research and development of intelligent technology for ships and marine equipment as well as the design, manufacturing and operation of intelligent ship systems.
CSSC Research Institute and Citic International are the two largest shareholders of the jv, each holding 31% shares.
CSSC believes the development of intelligent ship systems can facilitate the optimisation of shipping routes as well as the predictive diagnosis of malfunction, enhancing the safety, economic efficiency and productivity of ship operations.
“Through utilising the industrial intelligent technology of CSSC Research Institute and the market resources of the company and Citic International in the shipbuilding and other industrial manufacturing industries, respectively, the jv company will be able to apply industrial intelligent technology systems in various fields, including ship operations and industrial manufacturing industries,” CSSC said in a release.
CSSC’s flagship yard Shanghai Waigqaoqiao Shipbuilding delivered a so-called iVLOC Pacific Vision to China Merchants Energy Shipping last year. The ship, which is the world’s first VLOC to implement DNV GL’s SmartShip descriptive notation, was outfitted with an integration platform, a smart navigation decision support system, a ship energy efficiency management and optimization system, and smart-vessel operation and maintenance system.
