Methodology and Challenges of Implementing Advanced Technological Solutions in Small and Medium Shipyards: The Case Study of the Mari4_YARD Project
Small to medium-sized shipyards play a crucial role in the European naval industry. However, the globalization of technology has increased competition, posing significant challenges to shipyards, particularly in domestic markets for short sea, work, and inland vessels. Many shipyard operations still rely on manual, labor-intensive tasks performed by highly skilled operators. In response, the adoption of new tools is essential to enhance efficiency and competitiveness. This paper presents a methodology for developing a human-centric portfolio of advanced technologies tailored for shipyard environments, covering processes such as shipbuilding, retrofitting, outfitting, and maintenance. The proposed technological solutions, which have achieved high technology readiness levels, include 3D modeling and digitalization, robotics, augmented and virtual reality, and occupational exoskeletons. Key findings from real-scale demonstrations are discussed, along with major development and implementation challenges. Finally, best practices and recommendations are provided to support both technology developers seeking fully tested tools and end users aiming for seamless adoption.
Authors
- Félix Vidal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7214-6760)
- Lorenzo Grazi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4899-9346)
- Simona Crea (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9833-4401)
- Luís F. Rocha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8680-4290)
- Nina Köster (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4138-3274)
- Alejandro Pérez Vidal
- Sotiris Makris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9687-5925)
- Ariel Alonso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4966-1689)
- Ratko Mimica
- Jawad Masood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8884-9839)
- Vincent Settler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1028-744X)
- Luis Alfredo Rodríguez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1170-8579)
- Ivana Zeljkovic
- Marcelo R. Petry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7023-8562)
- Nikos Dimitropoulos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8902-9795)
- Andrea Parri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8121-7655)
- Konstantinos Katsampiris-Salgado (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9577-365X)
- Alexandros Kanakis
- Adam Gąsiorek
- Michal Neufeld
- Ioannis Ergas
- Javier Pamies Durá
- Javier Perez Mein
- Sara Varão Fernandes
- Stavros Giartzas
- Afra María Pertusa Llopis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1457-8914)
- Alejandro Grajeda
Institutions
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (IT)
- University of Patras (GR)
- Asociación de Investigación Metalúrgica del Noroeste (ES)
- Transition Technologies (Poland) (PL)
- INESC TEC (PT)
- Hamburg University of Technology (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Electronics
- Published
- 2025-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14081597
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Optimization
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.24