The shipbuilding industry is entering a new era of digital transformation. Advances in AI, extended reality (XR) technology, digital twins, and VR technology are helping ship designers, production teams, and vessel owners collaborate more efficiently, reduce errors, and deliver higher-quality vessels faster.
Shipbuilding is inherently complex, involving thousands of components, systems, and stakeholders. From concept design through production, maintenance, and lifecycle support, the industry generates vast amounts of fragmented data. Historically, this information has been spread across spreadsheets, custom databases, and disconnected tools, making it difficult to fully leverage. Today, digital shipbuilding software solutions and immersive VR applications are bridging these gaps, allowing stakeholders to work more intelligently together.
The Current State of VR And Mixed Reality
VR in shipbuilding has gained significant attention over the last few years. From conferences showcasing its potential to shipyards investing in relatively inexpensive hardware such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, there’s no shortage of enthusiasm. Prices continue to drop—VR headsets with controllers are now available for under $500 CAD—yet adoption in production environments remains limited. The primary challenge is not the hardware but creating a VR environment that integrates seamlessly with existing workflows and CAD models. Many companies have attempted custom solutions, only to find that building detailed VR models is time-consuming and requires specialized skills. For VR to be a truly valuable tool, it must function as a natural extension of existing ship design and production processes, similar to how shipbuilders create lightweight digital models of entire vessels. These models must be automatically updated, accessible, and user-friendly to drive wide adoption.
Despite these challenges, several applications already show measurable value:
- Training Crew: VR simulations help familiarize operators with vessel systems and layouts.
- Training Engineers: New engineers can gain practical experience on specific ship types without physical vessels.
- Sales and Marketing: Owners and stakeholders can experience full-scale designs virtually.
- Design Reviews: Both internal milestone reviews and customer presentations benefit from immersive spatial awareness, revealing design flaws before construction begins.

Case Study: Incat Crowther Parramatta River Class
Incat Crowther’s project to design seven ferries for Sydney Harbour demonstrates VR and mixed reality in action. The company faced challenges in multi-stakeholder collaboration, strict class-alignment requirements, and the need for real-time validation of customizations. Using SSI ShipConstructor, ShipExplorer, and Microsoft HoloLens, Incat Crowther created a 3D digital twin for each ferry. This enabled stakeholders to:
- Virtually experience full-scale designs and provide immediate feedback
- Overlay virtual models on shop floors for construction verification
- Conduct early training for crew members on propulsion systems and engine room layouts
- Stream models to remote locations for multi-site collaboration
Dougal Harris, Naval Architect at Incat Crowther, stated: “Being able to use mixed reality for design verification is ideal for a multiple-ship order and can help the designer deliver project assurance.” This example highlights how VR and digital twins are already improving shipbuilding project software, reducing errors, and accelerating timelines.
AI In Shipbuilding
Artificial Intelligence is emerging as a transformative technology in shipbuilding, but its true value lies in structured, accessible data. Shipyards generate vast amounts of information across design, production, and maintenance, yet much of it remains fragmented. For AI to deliver measurable results, data must be organized and connected across the vessel lifecycle.
AI Applications
- Planning and Scheduling: AI optimizes work sequencing and predicts bottlenecks, improving production efficiency.
- Predictive Maintenance and MRO: AI can detect potential issues such as corrosion or structural stress using historical vessel imagery. Faster diagnostics reduce downtime and enhance safety.
- Design Validation and Compliance: AI assists in verifying adherence to classification society rules, improving collaboration across shipyards and regulators.
AI can also surface assumptions made early in design, comparing them to real-world outcomes, and ensuring better decisions across ship systems and production workflows.

Digital Twins and the Digital Thread
The foundation of a modern shipyard lies in connecting design, production, and operational data into a digital thread. SSI’s open shipbuilding platform enables:
- Seamless Collaboration: Real-time sharing between shipyards, designers, and owners
- Change Management: Visibility into modifications ensures schedules and specifications are maintained
- Global Workforce Support: Distributed teams can engage with the same digital twin from anywhere
Digital twins extend beyond design verification. They support predictive maintenance, operational planning, and long-term sustainment. In the Incat Crowther project, laser-scanned as-built data was overlaid onto the digital twin using Navisworks, ensuring precise construction and accurate vessel documentation for future maintenance. This integration illustrates the practical value of digital twin PLM and digital thread strategies in ensuring operational efficiency.
The Future: AI, Digital Twins, and Extended Reality
The convergence of AI, XR technology, and digital shipbuilding software solutions is shaping the modern shipyard. Real-world examples show that these technologies are already transforming vessel design, production, and training.
AI-Enhanced Training and Support
AI-powered assistants reduce friction for engineers and crew, offering context-sensitive guidance and improving adoption of new tools. In the Parramatta River project, crew familiarized themselves with propulsion systems and engine layouts in mixed reality, reducing launch delays and improving operational readiness.
No-Code Reporting And Analytics
Shipyards can ask questions in natural language, like:
- “Which compartments have required the most redesign?”
- “What downstream effects will this design change have on outfitting?”
AI interprets these queries and provides actionable insights without manual report-building, accelerating decision-making and supporting predictive planning.
Digital Twin Lifecycle Management
Combining PLM digital twins with reality capture keeps virtual and physical vessels aligned. Changes in design, construction, or operational data are automatically reflected in the digital twin, enabling accurate maintenance planning and long-term sustainability.
Enhanced Multi-Site Collaboration
VR and XR applications allow designers, operators, and owners to inspect full-scale vessels virtually. Stakeholders can validate layouts, track ship systems, and approve modifications in real time, reducing travel and speeding design reviews. SSI’s platform supports multi-site collaboration by streaming immersive 3D ship models to remote participants.

SSI’s Role in Future-Ready Shipyards
The shipbuilding industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation. Today’s shipyards are integrating digital shipyard practices, AI in shipbuilding, digital twins, and extended reality (XR) technologies to improve design accuracy, optimize production workflows, and enhance crew training. Real-world examples, such as Incat Crowther’s Parramatta River Class ferries, demonstrate how shipbuilding design software and maritime software solutions can streamline collaboration among owners, operators, and shipyards while supporting complex multi-vessel projects.
SSI’s role is to help shipbuilders navigate this evolving landscape. Through our open shipbuilding platform, we guide the integration of shipbuilding project management software, digital twin PLM strategies, and VR/AR design validation tools into existing workflows. Our approach ensures that shipbuilders can leverage the latest digital tools without disrupting current operations, enabling more accurate construction, faster approvals, and better coordination across multiple stakeholders. By sharing insights, workflows, and integration strategies, SSI helps shipyards harness digital shipbuilding software solutions to drive measurable efficiency, quality, and innovation.
Preparing Shipyards for a Connected, Smart Future
The future of shipbuilding is digital, connected, and data driven. By combining digital twins, AI-enhanced shipbuilding software, and VR/AR design visualization, shipyards can improve design accuracy, reduce rework, and accelerate training and commissioning.
SSI’s mission is to empower shipbuilders with the knowledge and strategies needed to implement these innovations successfully. By focusing on workflow integration, maritime software solutions, and digital shipyard practices, shipyards can maximize efficiency, ensure high-quality construction, and prepare for the next generation of vessels.
The shipbuilding industry stands at the threshold of a new era, where digital shipbuilding software, AI in shipbuilding, and extended reality solutions enable faster, smarter, and more sustainable operations. With thoughtful adoption and guidance, the possibilities for innovation and performance are virtually limitless.
The modern shipyard is not just a concept—it’s here, and SSI is enabling it today.