Kawasaki and Nvidia target AI-driven digital shipyard
The graphics card manufacturer Nvidia will assist Kawasaki in building ‘a Next-Generation Digital Shipyard’ (Source: Kawasaki)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has partnered with Nvidia to develop a digital shipyard at its Sakaide Works in Japan, integrating generative AI (GAI), robotics and digital-twin technology across commercial shipbuilding operations.
The project aims to create a connected production environment linking vessel design, procurement, construction and quality management. Kawasaki said the initiative builds on its existing digital-transformation programme and ongoing work on GAI-enabled shipyard robots developed under a Japanese Government-backed research project.
The companies plan to combine Kawasaki’s shipbuilding expertise, operational data and robotics capabilities with NVIDIA’s GAI and simulation platforms, including Omniverse, Cosmos, Isaac, Metropolis and Jetson technologies. A key objective is to expand automation in shipyard activities such as welding, coating, inspection and material handling while reducing inefficiencies and repeat work through greater use of digital-twin models.
The collaboration will also examine the use of agentic GAI to support decision-making and workflow management across shipbuilding processes. In parallel, Kawasaki intends to develop systems that connect construction data with vessel operation, maintenance and refit activities after delivery, creating a continuous digital thread throughout the ship lifecycle.
For shiprepair and retrofit activities, the proposed framework could provide improved access to construction and inspection records, supporting maintenance planning and enabling operational data to be fed back into future vessel designs.
“Shipbuilding is one of the world’s most complex forms of manufacturing, and physical AI is opening a new era in how vessels are designed and built,” said Deepu Talla, vice president of Robotics and Edge AI at Nvidia.
Kawasaki said the programme would begin with technology verification and operational trials at Sakaide Works before being expanded to other manufacturing facilities. The company believes the initiative could help address labour shortages in Japan’s shipbuilding sector while improving productivity and supporting growing demand for low- and zero-carbon vessels.
