Marintec China 2017 to be held in Shanghai

Marintec China 2017 to be held in Shanghai

Known as the beacon of international maritime technology development trends, this year's world's most influential and largest maritime exhibition—Marintec China 2017— will be held from December 5 to 8 in Shanghai.

Started in 1981, Marintec China has been organised to resounding success every two years for 18 consecutive editions and has become a much sought-after bridge and link for all-round and multilevel cooperation by the Chinese and international maritime industries. It is an important window through which the international maritime community understands Chinese shipbuilding, offshore equipment and related markets, as well as shipping and ports, etc. It plays a pro-active role in advancing exchanges and cooperation in Chinese and foreign marine technology, economic and trade cooperation, ship financing, safety and insurance, standards and regulations, environmental protection and other areas. After more than 30 years, the scale and influence of Marintec China continue to expand, ranking Marintec China today top two among other international maritime exhibitions.

In recent years, the global shipbuilding and offshore engineering equipment markets faced a downturn. Particularly this year, the international shipbuilding market dropped to its all-time low. Yet, Marintec China manages to stay the course. Marintec China 2017 is expected to attract more than 2,100 exhibitors and over 65,000 visitors and the exhibition space will cover 90,000 square metres. Compared to the 2015 edition, these three figures are expected to grow to reach a new record, reflecting the influence of Marintec China on the global maritime industry.

As of to date, there are 15 confirmed country/region pavilions from Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan Region, UK, and USA. A special note on the recent Fortune Global 500 list, five out of the six port/shipping companies named will be participating in Marintec China 2017. Along with all shipbuilding companies who made the list. In addition, among the Fortune Global 500 energy companies, Lukoil, Sinopec, Gazprom, Total, and Mobil have confirmed their participation. At the same time, Caterpillar, ABB, Siemens, GE, Bosch, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Schneider Electric, and ZF Friedrichshafen AG, as well as CRRC, HNA, China Communications Construction Company, and other Global 500 or their subsidiaries will be participating in the Exhibition.

Pursuing a hot topic in the shipbuilding market, Marintec China 2017 will dedicate a special area, Marintec Innovation – Cruise Shipbuilding, featuring the construction, design and fitting-out of luxury cruise ships. The first China-built luxury cruise ship will be the highlight of this Exhibition.

The shipbuilding industry in recent years has ushered in a new round of technological innovations. Smart ships, which two years ago were a mere R&D concept, have become the main direction for development in every major shipbuilding country. The IMO has conducted considerable discussions on the subject and the related conventions, regulations and standards are now in the formulation stage. Japan, Europe, South Korea and China, etc, have separately formed alliances to develop smart ship, cooperating with research organisations, ship owners, shipbuilders, marine equipment manufacturers, and related cross-sectoral experts. Together, they work to promote the development of unmanned ships and smart ships. Not surprisingly, the focus will be unmanned ships, smart ships and related equipment and technology at this year's Exhibition.

Concurrently with the Exhibition, the Senior Maritime Forum will be staged. The theme of the Forum this year is: Innovation, Smart Manufacturing, Collaboration. The event will be held on 4-7 December at the Kerry Hotel Pudong, which is next to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

The Forum will consist of six sessions, namely: Keynote Speech, Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering, Shipping and Ports, Cruise, Maritime Finance and Law, and Marine Technology and Equipment. 

Over 50 distinguished guests will speak on topics related to the theme, closely linked to the strategies required to becoming a major shipbuilding power, the Belt and Road Initiative and other hot subjects. The specific topics include: “The Belt and Road Initiative and Global Collaborative Development”, “Intelligent Manufacturing – Steering the Shipbuilding Industry in the Next 10 Years”, “Luxury Cruiseship – Integrated Innovation, Made in China”, “Financial Innovation, Legal Protection – Promoting the Healthy Development of the Maritime Industry”, and “New Regulation, New Convention – Opportunities and Challenges,” etc.