In October 2025, the 3rd World Marine Equipment Conference concluded in Fuzhou. This grand event, themed "Setting Sails on the Prosperous Sea, Leading with Green Innovation," not only carried forward the enduring theme of "Bearing Human Dreams and Setting Course for the Stars and Oceans" but also focused squarely on high-end development and green innovation, outlining a clear path for the global marine equipment industry’s transformation and upgrading. From breakthroughs in cutting-edge, heavyweight technologies to technological innovations in green propulsion; from strategic deployments of deep-sea heavy-duty equipment to the deep integration of intelligent systems—the conference, as a spectacular showcase of technology and industry, announced to the world that the future of marine equipment is being firmly grounded in high-end advancement and steered by green innovation.

### High-End Transformation: A Leap from “Manufacturing” to “Smart Manufacturing”

High-endization is a crucial step for the marine equipment industry to move toward the top of the global value chain. At the 2025 conference, a series of “world’s largest” and “world’s first” pieces of equipment drew intense attention. The “Zhengli 3500,” a self-propelled, self-lifting wind turbine installation platform exhibited by Zhengli Group, boasts a main lifting capacity of 3,500 tons, setting a new global record. It can install large-scale wind turbines with capacities exceeding 20 megawatts, making it a key piece of equipment for constructing deep-sea wind farms. Meanwhile, the LNG dual-fuel-powered tanker showcased by Fuchuan Group, with a total length of nearly 250 meters and a deadweight of 113,600 tons, has been equipped with a wind-assisted propulsion system that reduces fuel consumption by more than 10%, marking an intelligent upgrade in medium- and long-distance crude oil transportation equipment.

Even more noteworthy is that high-end development is not merely reflected in the scale of equipment; it lies even more in breakthroughs in technological depth. The bionic underwater vehicle exhibited by Harbin Engineering University, shaped like a “black giant fish,” glides flexibly through the pool. Thanks to its exceptional maneuverability and minimal disturbance, it excels in monitoring operations in confined spaces or complex seabed environments, reducing its impact on the underwater environment by 60% compared to conventional equipment. This technological leap—from “functional performance” to “eco-friendliness”—is precisely the deep essence of high-end development.

### Green Transformation: A Revolution from “Emission Reduction” to “Carbon Neutrality”

Greening is an inevitable choice for the marine equipment industry to address the global climate crisis. At the main forum of the conference, Professor Yang Tao from Westlake University cited data pointing out: “Eighty percent of global trade relies on shipping, generating approximately 1.1 billion tons of carbon emissions annually—accounting for 3% of the world’s total emissions.” Against this backdrop, the integration of green fuels, clean energy, and intelligent energy-saving technologies has become the core focus for industrial transformation.

In terms of technological breakthroughs, the “seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production without desalination” technology—pioneered by the Dongfang Electric (Fujian) Innovation Research Institute—leverages the intermittent energy from offshore wind power to create a closed-loop “wind-to-hydrogen” system, significantly reducing fuel production costs and providing sustainable power for ships. CATL’s all-battery-powered systems, showcased at the event, have already been deployed on more than 800 vessels—from cargo ships and passenger ferries to tourist boats and government service vessels—covering a wide range of application scenarios. Moreover, their defect rate of just one in a billion underscores China’s global leadership in new-energy technologies.

At the application scenario level, green transformation is shifting from individual equipment to the entire industrial chain. The Fujian Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the China Classification Society to promote collaborative innovation among industry, academia, research, inspection, and application, thereby accelerating the development of standards and demonstration applications in areas such as green ships and smart shipping. At the Forum on the Development of Electrification for Coastal and Inland Waterway Vessels—held alongside the conference—experts pointed out that electrification technology has already expanded from inland waterway transportation to deep-sea operations. In the future, it will form a diversified and complementary ecosystem together with technologies such as hydrogen energy and ammonia fuel, jointly building a “zero-carbon shipping” ecosystem.

### Open Collaboration: From “Single-Point Breakthrough” to “Global Coordination”

The advancement of high-end and green development is inseparable from deepened collaboration across global industrial chains. The 2025 conference attracted 812 companies from 25 countries and regions, setting a new historical record. Qingdao Haina Electrical Automation Systems Co., Ltd. and Switzerland’s ABB jointly participated in the exhibition and were awarded the “Top Ten International Cooperation Award.” According to Wen Peng, Technical Director of Haina, “Through this exhibition, we not only connected with China Shipbuilding Group but also reached preliminary cooperation agreements with customers from Norway, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and other regions. The global market demand for green and intelligent equipment is experiencing an explosive growth.”

Policy-level openness is equally crucial. At the conference, Glenn Peñalanda, Commercial Counselor at the Philippine Embassy in China, pointed out that ASEAN and China have vast potential for cooperation in areas such as sustainable aquaculture, smart agriculture, and infrastructure logistics. He expressed hope that the “China-ASEAN Free Trade Area Version 3.0” will further deepen industrial collaboration. This cross-regional policy alignment provides institutional safeguards for the global deployment of high-end green equipment.

### Future Outlook: Driving the Marine Economy with New-Generation Productive Forces

Over the three-year journey of the World Maritime Equipment Conference, China’s maritime equipment industry has undergone a remarkable transformation—from “following” to “running alongside,” and even in some areas, “taking the lead.” During the 2025 conference, Fujian Province signed projects with a total investment exceeding 110 billion yuan, covering key sectors such as port-adjacent industries, marine new energy, and modern fisheries. Among these, 15 projects were selected for centralized signing at the provincial level, with a total investment surpassing 58 billion yuan. Behind these figures lies the efficient conversion of advanced, green technologies into real productive forces.

As the conference theme suggests, “Setting Sail for Prosperity” is not only China’s self-pledge for its marine equipment industry but also a commitment to building a community with a shared future for the global ocean. As cutting-edge, high-end technological prowess deeply integrates with eco-friendly, green wisdom, and as the global network of open cooperation closely intertwines with an innovative ecosystem spanning industry, academia, research, and application, a new era of marine economy driven by new-quality productivity is now setting sail.