Samsung Heavy Industries is strengthening its collaboration with global shipping companies and AI server firms to capture the rapidly growing market for floating data centers (FDC), driven by the expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.
On June 3, the company announced its plans to enhance FDC business partnerships at the Posidonia 2026, the world's largest shipping exhibition held in Athens, Greece.
FDCs are data centers built on specialized vessels in rivers or oceans, offering solutions to issues faced by traditional data centers, such as securing power and space, and cooling servers.
The event featured key executives, including Vice Chairman Choi Sung-an, Vice President Lee Wang-geun, and Vice President Ahn Young-kyu, who discussed expanding cooperation with global shipping companies.
On June 2, Samsung Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Greek shipping company Capital and the UK’s Lloyd's Register (LR) to strengthen collaboration on the FDC project.
Under the agreement, Samsung Heavy Industries will handle FDC technology and construction, while Capital will focus on project discovery and investment. Lloyd's Register will be responsible for establishing global regulations related to FDCs.
Additionally, Samsung Heavy Industries has partnered with Lloyd's Advisory, a consulting firm under Lloyd's Register, to enhance cooperation in economic feasibility studies, including infrastructure analysis and market assessments for North American data centers.
Earlier, on June 1, Samsung Heavy Industries entered into a joint development agreement with global AI server company Supermicro at the Innovate APAC 2026 event in Taipei, Taiwan.
Through this collaboration, Samsung Heavy Industries aims to develop position control technology and humidity and salt barrier technology to prevent environmental factors such as vibrations, tilting, humidity, and salinity from affecting the lifespan and stability of AI servers. Supermicro will work with Samsung Heavy Industries to validate operational conditions for AI servers in marine environments.
According to credit rating agency Moody's, the global AI data center market is expected to see investments of up to $3 trillion (approximately 4,400 trillion won) by 2030, which is anticipated to drive growth in the FDC sector as well.
In response, shipyards in Japan and Singapore are proposing various forms of floating and semi-submersible data centers, ranging from repurposing existing vessels.
Samsung Heavy Industries plans to accelerate its market entry by establishing a global lineup for the FDC project, focusing on investment discovery, market analysis, economic feasibility verification, and securing core technologies.
Vice Chairman Choi Sung-an stated, "Data centers on the sea represent a new market opportunity for the shipping and shipbuilding industries. We will proactively enter the FDC market through collaboration with global partners to establish a unique position."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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