Maritime AI company Orca AI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) to jointly develop and deploy autonomous navigation, berthing, and speed-control capabilities across both newly built ships and existing fleets. The deal brings together SHI's Samsung Autonomous Ship platform with Orca AI's AI-powered situational awareness system, which is currently installed on more than 1,200 vessels.
Under the agreement, Orca AI will integrate SHI's SVISION berthing assistance system and autonomous speed-control solution (RPM optimisation) into its platform. In parallel, SHI will embed Orca AI's system as standard on newbuild vessels equipped with the Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) solution. The companies will also share operational data and collaborate on R&D to accelerate autonomous capability development.
The scale element is significant: Orca AI counts over 500 additional vessels in its pipeline beyond the current 1,200 deployments, and the partnership gives SHI a route to commercialise its SVISION and SAS systems across a broader mix of vessel segments. Clients already using Orca AI include Maran Tankers, MSC, Seaspan, and NYK.
Yarden Gross, CEO and Co-founder of Orca AI, said: "Bringing together SHI's deep expertise in vessel design and integration with our AI-driven situational awareness platform creates a practical path to scaling autonomous capabilities — from newbuild vessels to existing fleets. This partnership enables both companies to accelerate innovation and deliver tangible value to the industry."
Bringing together SHI's deep expertise in vessel design and integration with our AI-driven situational awareness platform creates a practical path to scaling autonomous capabilities – from newbuild vessels to existing fleets. This partnership enables both companies to accelerate innovation and deliver tangible value to the industry.
Hyun Joe Kim, Head of SHI's Research Institute, said: "We are excited to collaborate with Orca AI, a leading maritime AI company that has demonstrated its ability to deliver production-grade AI and autonomous capabilities. Enhancing our business portfolio and advancing technologies through AI-based autonomous navigation is a key competitive factor for the future of the shipbuilding industry. Through this collaboration, we will actively pursue technological leadership by internalising differentiated autonomous navigation technologies and expanding our platform strategy."
Orca AI powered what it describes as the world's first commercial autonomous voyage in 2022, in partnership with The Nippon Foundation's Designing the Future of Full Autonomous Ships (DFFAS) initiative. The new SHI deal extends that trajectory into a structured commercial arrangement with one of the largest shipbuilders operating at scale.
We are excited to collaborate with Orca AI, a leading maritime AI company that has demonstrated its ability to deliver production-grade AI and autonomous capabilities. Enhancing our business portfolio and advancing technologies through AI-based autonomous navigation is a key competitive factor for the future of the shipbuilding industry. Through this collaboration, we will actively pursue technological leadership by internalising differentiated autonomous navigation technologies and expanding our platform strategy.
