HD Hyundai is embarking on the development of key technologies for 'floating data centers,' which are gaining attention as an alternative to traditional land-based data centers in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
On July 7, HD Korean Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, a mid-holding company of HD Hyundai's shipbuilding division, announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global data center infrastructure leader Schneider Electric for the joint development of floating data center (FDC) infrastructure technology.
The signing ceremony took place at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, attended by Kim Hyung-kwan, CEO of HD Korean Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and Kwon Ji-woong, CEO of Schneider Electric Korea, along with executives and officials from both companies.
The FDC, known as a floating data center, operates servers on floating structures at sea, presenting an ideal solution to the challenges of securing land and the high costs of server cooling associated with traditional data centers.
Schneider Electric is a global leader in power, cooling, and energy management for data centers, providing next-generation digital infrastructure solutions based on its extensive experience in building large-scale data centers and AI infrastructure.
Under the agreement, the two companies aim to enhance collaboration in engineering to optimize core technologies for data center infrastructure in marine environments, focusing on the integrated construction of data center infrastructure based on offshore platforms.
They will review the infrastructure and technical requirements necessary for implementing the FDC and work together to derive optimal infrastructure solutions suitable for marine platform environments. Additionally, they plan to secure integrated design capabilities that combine data center power and cooling infrastructure with marine platform technology.
Furthermore, the two companies will regularly share information on the latest technology trends and engineering issues related to FDCs and seek additional opportunities for joint research and development to expand their collaborative relationship.
Kim Hyung-kwan, CEO of HD Korean Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, stated, "We are accelerating the development of offshore data center technology based on our accumulated design and construction capabilities for floating structures in the shipbuilding and marine sectors. Through this collaboration, we will enhance core technologies to reliably implement large-scale, high-density computing infrastructure at sea."
Meanwhile, the shipbuilding industry is nurturing FDCs as the next-generation marine infrastructure to address power and land shortages arising from the expansion of AI data centers. Domestic shipbuilders, equipped with design and construction technologies for ships and marine plants, are entering the competition to build offshore platforms, leading to intensified technology development and global collaboration.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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