26 February 2026 | Interaction | By Editor Robotics Business NEWS <editor@rbnpress.com>
As shipbuilding enters a new era shaped by automation and artificial intelligence, Saronic Technologies is redefining manufacturing through a “software-led shipbuilding” approach. In this exclusive interview with Robotics Business News, John Morgan, Head of Manufacturing at Saronic Technologies, discusses how physical AI-powered welding systems, intelligent robotics, and data-driven production workflows are improving efficiency, safety, and scalability while helping modernize maritime industrial capacity.
Saronic describes its approach as “software-led shipbuilding.” How does integrating physical AI into welding operations support this broader manufacturing philosophy?
Software-led shipbuilding means applying the same systems-driven, AI-first philosophy that powers our technology development to how we operate the shipyard itself. Integrating physical AI into welding operations allows us to embed real-time intelligence directly into production workflows. By pairing emerging robotics with high-rate production methodologies and our skilled shipbuilding workforce, we are making manufacturing more data-driven, repeatable, and scalable.
What specific production bottlenecks or operational challenges in traditional shipbuilding prompted Saronic to explore AI-driven welding automation?
Our focus is on enhancing production efficiency, reliability, and consistency as we scale autonomous ship manufacturing. Traditional shipbuilding often relies on manual processes that have variability, slow throughput, and limit how quickly operations can scale. AI-driven welding and automation technologies elevate welding performance by increasing repeatability and streamlining execution, while reducing inefficiency across the workflow. The collaboration with Path is part of our broader effort to deploy advanced manufacturing capabilities, automation, and software tools that accelerate shipyard operations and enable production at speed and scale, all while continuing to invest in and grow our skilled shipbuilding workforce.
How will intelligent welding cells integrate with your existing workforce and workflows at the Franklin, Louisiana shipyard?
Embedding physical AI into our day-to-day manufacturing operations will allow us to pair experienced craftspeople with intelligent robotics that can improve workflows and processes while adapting in real time. These systems will be implemented alongside our skilled welders to enhance their capabilities and support their work, combining human expertise with advanced automation on the shipyard floor. This will accelerate our shipyard operations and enhance production efficiency and reliability. We are also evaluating additional automation capabilities for process improvements and new software tools to streamline shipyard workflows.
Safety and consistency are major priorities in shipyard operations. How do you expect physical AI systems to improve worker safety while maintaining craftsmanship standards?
Safety and quality are our top priorities, and we are deeply committed to maintaining the highest standards for our shipbuilding workforce and operations. We hold ourselves and our partners to rigorous safety and quality benchmarks. Path Robotics brings a proven track record of precision, consistency, and reliable performance in heavy manufacturing environments, which aligns with how we approach production. Embedding intelligent robotics into our shipbuilding operations strengthens our workforce capabilities by enhancing the precision and effectiveness of our skilled welders, reinforcing safety standards, and elevating overall production quality and consistency, while keeping craftsmanship and human judgment at the center of the process.
What key performance indicators will determine the success of this initial deployment with Path Robotics?
As we stand up our work with Path, we are focused on driving measurable improvements in cycle time per assembly, increasing throughput relative to our manual baseline, improving first pass yield, and maintaining a high arc on percentage. These metrics help ensure we are delivering both productivity gains and consistent weld quality from day one. This is an opportunity for Saronic and Path to refine our processes and leverage our respective strengths as we collaborate to optimize performance.
The Franklin shipyard is serving as a testing ground for Port Alpha. How will lessons learned from this collaboration influence the design of your next-generation shipyard?
Insights from integrating intelligent robotics into our operations at Franklin will directly inform how we design Port Alpha, from facility layout and workflow orchestration to automation tools and software integration. By evaluating performance, safety, and efficiency in Louisiana, we can embed robotics-enabled production and software-defined systems into Port Alpha from day one – establishing a scalable, high-capacity shipbuilding model built around intelligent automation.
As automation expands, how is Saronic investing in workforce training and upskilling to ensure shipbuilders can work effectively alongside advanced robotics?
We are continuing to invest in the growth and development of our skilled shipbuilding workforce as we deploy advanced manufacturing technologies. Our approach centers on workforce augmentation, pairing experienced craftspeople with advanced tools that enhance their capabilities and productivity while keeping our workforce at the core of execution, quality, and continuous improvement. In less than a year, our shipyard workforce has grown from 30 to over 200 team members, reflecting our commitment to scaling both advanced manufacturing capabilities and the people who power them.
From a strategic perspective, how critical is advanced manufacturing and automation to restoring long-term U.S. maritime industrial capacity?
Advanced manufacturing and production automation are foundational to restoring long term U.S. maritime industrial capacity. Expanding shipyard capacity must mean building facilities around advanced manufacturing technologies from the outset – not retrofitting legacy infrastructure. That is why we are investing in our $300 million expansion in Franklin and developing Port Alpha as a next-generation greenfield shipyard. Designing modern, robotics-enabled shipyards from the ground up is essential to restoring America’s maritime industrial base and expanding U.S. shipbuilding capacity.
