Digital Twin Project to Next Stage Following Successful Pilot Trials

[By: NAPA]

ClassNK and NAPA, on behalf of all participating organizations, have today announced the successful completion of Phase 3 pilot trials of the cross-industry Digital Twin Project. 

Results from the pilot trials confirmed the feasibility of the platform’s core business scenarios, validating the applications of shared digital twins to enhance collaboration across the maritime value chain between shipowners, shipbuilders, and broader maritime stakeholders. 

The trials demonstrated clear benefits in operational efficiency, cost reduction, and digital value creation, while also identifying areas for further improvement – such as data management and security, contract structures, and business model clarity, including platform fees and value assessment.

The Digital Twin Project is aimed at creating a secure data-sharing platform between shipyards and shipowners to advance the use of digital twins throughout a ship’s lifecycle, contributing to improved operational efficiency and safety. The platform will allow the 3D models created during the ship’s design stage to be shared in a secure, access-controlled digital environment, with the stakeholders involved. The aim is to tackle the hurdles around sharing sensitive design and operational data.  

Breaking down these data silos enables shipyards to make greater use of ships’ operational data to improve future designs, while other projects will support shipowners and charterers in assessing their fleet’s environmental performance and potential emissions reductions and cost savings. Modeling, meanwhile, will provide a data-driven picture of the future impact of deploying new technologies, such as weather routing, wind propulsion, or batteries, on the vessel’s safety, operations and cargo capacity. It will also be used to validate the performance of new systems once installed on board.  

The cross-industry Project includes Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), NYK Group company MTI Co. Ltd. (MTI), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE), Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni) and Marubeni Group company MMSL Japan Ltd., Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Japan Marine United Corporation, Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd., Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation, Usuki Shipyard Co., Ltd., ClassNK and NAPA.