SSI has appointed naval architect Andrew King to lead the deployment of its digital design and production tools across UK shipyards, while building a professional education programme focused on digital engineering and net-zero vessel design. The move brings shipyard software, industry expertise and academic training closer together as owners and managers face more complex decisions across vessel design, retrofit and lifecycle management.
SSI has appointed Andrew King to support the adoption of its digital design and production platforms across the UK shipbuilding sector.
King brings more than 40 years of experience across ship design, construction, conversion, repair and refit. His previous roles include work with Cammell Laird, BAE Systems, Babcock, James Fisher & Sons, Expleo and Belcan, alongside advisory work for commercial marine and superyacht clients.
At SSI, he will combine business development with net-zero innovation work across naval, commercial marine and leisure markets. His remit also includes supporting shipyards and maritime companies with the practical adoption of digital engineering tools.
King was also appointed Visiting Professor in Marine Engineering Design for Net Zero Solutions at Liverpool John Moores University’s Global Centre for Maritime Innovation in September.
The university programme will target shipowners, shipmanagers, shipyards and design consultants, with training covering the evaluation, design, integration and management of net-zero technologies across a vessel’s lifecycle.
The programme was supported by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Visiting Professors FY2627 Round 13 scheme.
King said the programme will use real-world decarbonisation case studies alongside SSI’s ShipConstructor and ShipbuildingPLM platforms.
“The challenge facing maritime is no longer simply developing new technologies, it is developing engineers capable of integrating those technologies into real ships operating in real commercial environments,” he said.
He added that delegates will be able to assess future-fuel retrofits and newbuild applications within a practical vessel design and lifecycle management environment.
SSI’s EMEA Lead, Jan Hedeman, said King’s combination of technical and commercial experience would support clients developing strategies for low-carbon vessels.
The appointment also brings a practical shipowner and shipmanager consideration into digital shipbuilding. Digital design platforms can connect decisions made during vessel design and production with later maintenance, retrofit and lifecycle work, making the skills of the people managing those systems as important as the software itself.
