International shipbuilders, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), has that it is developing innovative methods that would assist in modernizing shipbuilding in Nigeria.
The company said it has commenced research across multiple centres in Geoje, Daeduk and Pangyo in Korea that will transform Samsung’s shipyard at Geoje into a smart shipyard, and conduct transfer of technology to Nigeria.
“Innovations currently being worked on have the potential to bring about radical changes in the shipping industry, fostering the use of ecofriendly technology, a switch to digitised management and self-reliance on inspection for offshore engineering and more,” the company said in a statement last weekend.
The company said, during the construction of the Egina, the world’s largest Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO), Samsung applied many innovations from its Korean operations which helped shorten the Egina project integration process to seven months, the fastest in Africa amongst comparable projects.
It further said that based on research and development, its ICT Convergence Centre in Geoje, was working on integrating an innovative ICT and production technology in up to six different categories.
“The company aims to use Cloud, Big Data, and loT, among other advanced tools, to make shipbuilding and operations on the fabrication and integration yards smoother and smarter.
“The technologies to be implemented will facilitate more efficient ways of working, lowering the cost of operations, increasing safety, and modernising the shipbuilding industry in Nigeria. Sustainable method of production, based on digital modes of operations, is the need of the hour as every country makes its move towards energy transition,” the company further said in the statement.
Managing Director of Samsung, Mr. Jejin Jeon, said the company is planning to bring into existence radical methods of working that include fully functional paperless factories, real-time transfer of manufacturing records, 3D and 4D model visualisation, and map-based navigation, which allows for an easy-to-use real-time location guide for even unskilled workers in complex offshore plants.
According to him, the company has identified Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region as an emerging market with an abundance of opportunity. “Our investment in West Africa is a long term one, rooted in helping develop local human capacity by leveraging our fabrication and integration yard to the benefit of the entire West African maritime industry.
“The new and modern ways of working will not only empower Nigerian maritime industry, but is a promising opportunity for the country’s youths who will receive hands on training in these necessary tools of smart working that are soon to become the norm in every industry in the near future.
“At Samsung, we believe in having big dreams and visions for the future and following them with passion. Given our present and near future is digital, it is high time the shipbuilding industry too started digitising its ways of working.
“We are looking forward to introducing these innovations to truly transform our ways of working in a complex industry such as shipbuilding. We remain committed to ensuring that our relationship with the Nigerian community remains strong by continuing to train local staff in technical vocational skills,” the statement quoted Jeon
Chibisi Ohakah, Abuja
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