TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING and Carnegie Mellon University (USA) conclude a joint research agreement～Aiming to revolutionize shipbuilding processes with leading-edge robotic and information technologies

TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 1083 Tsuneishi, Numakuma-cho, Fukuyama city, Hiroshima; President: Takao Kawamoto) and Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; President: Subra Suresh) concluded an agreement on 14 October 2014 for joint research aiming to revolutionize shipbuilding processes by using leading-edge robotic technology and information technology.

This research aims to apply the expertise of Carnegie Mellon University, a leader in the field of education and research in robotics and information technology, to revolutionize a wide range of production technology with synergetic and integrated research in a number of areas including the automation of shipbuilding processes, robotization of the “craftsmanship” that assures high quality, networked factories, and sensor technology.

While cooperating with Professor Shimada’s research lab at Carnegie Mellon University, which has already carried out significant joint research and technology transfers in industries such as automobile, aerospace and software, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding will develop the leading-edge technology that is necessary to revolutionize shipbuilding processes, and use it at its shipyards. Also, TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING will dispatch some young engineers to Carnegie Mellon University as researchers to help cultivate global human resources that will lead the next generation and, at the same time, encourage the exchange of both people and technology by accepting students from Carnegie Mellon University as summer interns from 2015.

President Takao Kawamoto of TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING explained his hopes for the future saying, “TSUNEISHI has already strategically developed shipbuilding bases in other Asian countries ahead of its competitors, and trained local staff to become valuable employees. We would like to go one step further this time and build comprehensive industry-academia collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, known for the best research and education in the fields of robotics and IT, and to build mother factories that make use of this leading-edge technology.”

Professor Kenji Shimada of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University said, “By further developing the robotic and IT technologies already created through research collaboration with other manufacturing industries, we aim to improve shipbuilding quality, cost competitiveness and production time. We believe that the human resource exchange between Japan and the US, including visiting researchers from TSUNEISHI and student interns from Carnegie Mellon, will lead to some innovative ideas.”

■TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd. Corporate Profile
　http://www.tsuneishi.co.jp/english/
A core company of TSUNEISHI HOLDINGS CORPORATION (head office: Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture). TSUNEISHI HOLDINGS CORPORATION was established 111 years ago, and its main business operations are in shipbuilding and shipping. TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd. builds about 60 vessels per year, centered on the 30,000 ton to 180,000 ton class bulk carriers, and is one of the top shipyards in the Japan, out of its Tsuneishi Factory(head office), and two foreign factories located in the Philippines and China.

President : Takao Kawamoto
Field of Business : Shipbuilding, Ship repairing
Established : July 1917
Capital : 100 million yen
Employees : Approximately 710 (as of December 2013)
Business Locations : Tsuneishi Factory (Numakuma-cho, Fukuyama-city, Hiroshima,Japan)

■Carnegie Mellon University
　http://www.cmu.edu
Carnegie Mellon University is a highly-regarded research university that covers fields including science, technology, business, policy studies, humanities and art. With seven faculties, 12,000 students and a low student/staff ratio, it concentrates on identifying and solving real-life problems, and has interdisciplinary cooperation and innovation as its mottos for education. Carnegie Mellon University is an international university that has its main campus is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as campuses in Silicon Valley, California, and Qatar, and degree-granting programs in Asia, Australia and Europe.

－ For inquiries regarding this matter, contact: －

Tsuneishi Holdings Corporation
Marketing Communication Dept.
TEL: +81(84) 987-4915
EMAIL: pr@tsuneishi.com

Carnegie Mellon University
Dept of Mechanical Engineering.
TEL: +1(718) 679-5528
EMAIL: rkubo@andrew.cmu.edu