# HD Hyundai will automate shipyards with digital twins by 2030

*The shipbuilder targets a 30% reduction in vessel construction time and a 30% gain in yard productivity to protect margins against retiring skilled labor and regional dockyard rivals.*

**Published:** October 21, 2026  
**By:** Hyun-jung Lee  
**Section:** Shipbuilding & Defense — South Korea  
**Format:** Breaking  
**Confidence:** medium  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hd-hyundai-will-automate-shipyards-digital-twins-2030-853  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- HD Hyundai plans to operate autonomous shipyards by 2030 to cut vessel build times by 30%
- South Korean yards face labor shortages across 37,999,000 CGT of contracted order backlog
- Siemens and Palantir provide digital twin and ontology software for the 2026 phase transition

![A shipyard worker examines a holographic digital twin of a vessel from a control room overlooking the yard. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-21-e4f9eda19374.webp)
*A shipyard worker examines a holographic digital twin of a vessel from a control room overlooking the yard. (AI-generated image)*

HD Hyundai confirmed plans Oct. 21 to deploy digital twins across its shipyards by 2030, targeting automated operations to counter an accelerating shortage of skilled production labor.

The shipbuilder aims to reduce vessel construction time by 30% and lift yard productivity by 30%, according to conference remarks by Chief Digital Officer Lee Tae-jin.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "HD Hyundai will automate shipyards with digital twins by 2030," October 21, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hd-hyundai-will-automate-shipyards-digital-twins-2030-853