USN widens collaboration with KRISO, South Korea

Petter Aasen, rector of USN and Booki Kim, president of KRISO were signing at the digital MOU ceremony this week. From left: Vice dean Mette Lene Falck-Pedersen, dean Morten Christian Melaaen, Petter Aasen, Deputy head of Department Monica Husby and leader of the Department of Maritime Operations Anne Kari Botnmark.
Petter Aasen, rector of USN and Booki Kim, president of KRISO were signing at the digital MOU ceremony this week. From left: Vice dean Mette Lene Falck-Pedersen, dean Morten Christian Melaaen, Petter Aasen, associate professor Hyungju Kim, deputy head of Department Monica Husby and leader of the Department of Maritime Operations Anne Kari Botnmark.

USN’s Department of Maritime Operations signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO), South Korea on Thursday to broaden cooperation between the two institutions. Due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions, the ceremony took place digitally.

- Digital transformation and green shipping are keywords for further development of the maritime industries where we hope to draw on KRISO’s expertise in common research activities, says Petter Aasen, USN’s rector at the digital MOU ceremony.

Founded in 1973, KRISO is the largest and the only government-funded national maritime research institute in South Korea. KRISO has been conducting research projects in ships and off-shore related R&D projects—in model testing, engineering analysis, and design, verification, safety and environment issues. In recent years KRISO has been focusing on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships, green ships and in the development of smart and eco-friendly technology for zero emissions. “With this collaboration with USN, KRISO hopes to explore the possibility of research and cooperation together on autonomous ship operation, green ship technologies, ocean renewable energy, as well as other marine research-related areas,” says KRISO’s president Booki Kim.

USN and KRISO currently collaborate on two R&D projects—a battery-driven car ferry project that started in 2020, and a venture focusing on autonomous ship safety, which will commence in 2021.