LR and KRISO join forces on verification and validation in marine autonomy

A significant partnership between Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) has been established to accelerate the validation and verification of marine autonomous systems. This joint development project aims to create a comprehensive testing environment for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), focusing on integrating advanced verification methods for hardware, software, and artificial intelligence components. The initiative seeks to enhance safety, reliability, and performance standards, laying the groundwork for broader adoption of autonomous systems in the maritime industry.

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The project builds upon KRISO’s existing work through the KASS project, which has been developing testbeds and infrastructure for autonomous operations over the past five years. By collaborating with LR, the joint project will foster more systematic and reliable verification and validation (V&V) procedures, enabling a more practical approach to assessing advanced autonomous technologies. This effort is expected to support the commercialisation of MASS and set the stage for the development of global verification standards.

Industry leaders have expressed optimism about the collaboration’s potential impact. LR’s Chief Commercial Officer, Andy McKeran, emphasised the importance of robust verification processes for the safe commercialisation of autonomous ships, while KRISO’s President, Keyyong Hong, highlighted the partnership’s role in advancing technology standardisation and digitalisation within the maritime sector.

As the project progresses, there is an expectation that additional partners from the UK and Korea will join the initiative, further expanding its scope and influence on the future of autonomous maritime operations.