- KRISO hosts international forum on advanced maritime mobility

- Experts discuss AI transformation, autonomous vessels in maritime industry

Jung Jong-jin, director general of KRISO, delivers a welcoming address at the 2026 Advanced Maritime Mobility International Forum. [KRISO]
Jung Jong-jin, director general of KRISO, delivers a welcoming address at the 2026 Advanced Maritime Mobility International Forum. [KRISO]

AI is reshaping the maritime industry — from ship navigation and port logistics to the broader shipping sector. As AI technology spreads across autonomous vessels and smart ports, experts from home and abroad gathered to chart the future of maritime mobility.

The Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering, known as KRISO, said Wednesday it co-hosted the 2026 Advanced Maritime Mobility International Forum with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries at the Busan Port International Exhibition and Convention Center.

The forum, held as a flagship event of the 2026 Korea Maritime Week, was organized around the theme "The Maritime AI Revolution: Navigating the Future of Intelligent Maritime Mobility."

About 360 experts and officials from the maritime and AI sectors attended. Specialists from major organizations — including global shipping company Maersk, Norwegian research institute SINTEF Digital and the World Shipping Council — shared perspectives on AI adoption and technological innovation in the maritime industry.

The forum was structured around two sessions covering AI-driven innovation in shipbuilding and the digital transformation of ports and shipping.

The first session focused on physical AI and autonomous technologies applied to ship navigation and control, with discussions on the future trajectory of vessel technology.

The second session broadened the scope to smart ports, logistics, Arctic shipping routes and the wider maritime industry, examining how AI and digital technologies could transform maritime transport and port operations.

Each session featured expert panel discussions. Participants examined the challenges of deploying maritime AI technologies in real-world settings and expanding cross-sector collaboration.

Jung Jong-jin, director general of KRISO, said advances in AI are accelerating the intelligent transformation of ships, ports and the shipping industry. "True maritime AI innovation requires not just progress in individual technologies, but organic linkages across different fields," Jung said, adding that the forum's discussions would help build consensus on the future of maritime mobility and translate into meaningful cooperation.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com