NYK and Ghelia form business and capital alliance

The two companies will collaborate on R&D for autonomous ships, avoidance navigation, etc.

NYK and Ghelia form business and capital alliance
Photo: NYK

Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and GHELIA INC. (Ghelia) have entered into a business and capital alliance agreement that comes with an investment by NYK in Ghelia. 

The two companies will collaborate on R&D for autonomous ships, avoidance navigation, etc., as well as promote DX by introducing Ghelia’s AI technologies to business processes in NYK’s sales divisions, corporate divisions, and the like.

The shipping industry has recently seen a number of requests involving the development and design of digital engineering and digital twins, the establishment of fully autonomous ship systems, and technological innovation such as next-generation energy for decarbonization. The same can be said for ensuring safety throughout the process of vessel operation.

In accordance with the alliance agreement, NYK and Ghelia will work to realize AI technologies at NYK. In the future, both companies will try to create and utilize advanced, practical AI services, aiming at leading the global shipping industry and contributing to further expansion of the industry.

Hideki Suzuki, executive officer of NYK, said:

"We are convinced that this capital and business alliance with Ghelia, which has been providing AI solutions to a wide variety of customers through the company’s strength in AI development and deep reinforcement learning, will hugely contribute to further technological development in the shipping industry and the promotion of business DX through the utilization of AI. In the future, we expect to not only practically utilize AI technologies in NYK but also work on creating new value by providing AI services that lead the shipping industry."

Makoto Saito, president and CEO of Ghelia:

"We are very glad to conclude the business alliance agreement with NYK and for its capital participation. We are confident that this alliance will mark another step forward in Ghelia’s mission of “Striving for symbiosis of humanity and AI.” Ghelia, which was founded at Sony CSL, has been working with key players in various industries as a cross-border AI solution vendor, to implement AI solutions in customers’ business operations. Through this alliance with NYK, a pioneer and a leader in the shipping industry, we will lead the practical application of AI solutions in the shipping industry, where digitization and implementation of AI are urgently needed on a global level. Together with NYK, we will promote the transformation of this industry."