On October 23, 2024, the highly anticipated “Digitalization and Intelligentization Forum” of the 2024 North Bund Forum came to a successful conclusion at the  Grand Halls in Shanghai. This forum is jointly organized by China Classification Society (CCS) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which has gathered the elites from various industries to explore the opportunities and challenges of digital and intelligent transition in the shipping industry, and to jointly look forward to the development direction and implementation path of new quality productive forces.

The forum kicked off under the leadership of CCS Vice President Wang Hongwei, and hundreds of experts, scholars, and corporate executives gathered to engage in in-depth exchanges and discussions on cutting-edge issues on the digital and intelligent development of the shipping industry. With the theme of “Building Future-oriented Shipping by Fostering New Quality Productive Forces in its Digital and Intelligent Transition”, this forum aims to jointly promote the digital and intelligent transition and development of the shipping industry through in-depth exchanges and forward-looking discussion.

Leader’s Speech

Representatives from the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, the Ministry of Transport of China, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University delivered wonderful speeches, extended a warm welcome to the guests and elaborated on the significant strategic significance and contemporary value of the digital and intelligent transition of the shipping industry.

Xu Huili, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, introduced the positive achievements of Shanghai in promoting the construction of an international shipping center, and looked forward to Shanghai’s future plan in improving digital and intelligent services, promoting smart operations, innovating the application of smart equipment, etc. She called on the participants to have in-depth exchanges and jointly contribute to the digital transition and high-quality development of the shipping industry. 

Yi Jiyong, Deputy Director General of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport of China, highly praised the important role of the “Digitalization and Intelligentization Forum” in promoting exchanges and cooperation in the shipping industry. He emphasized that the shipping industry should actively embrace digital and intelligent technologies, increase efforts in technological innovation and management model innovation, create new business and service models, continuously achieve digital transition and intelligent upgrading, and achieve high-quality and sustainable development.

Xi Lifeng, Executive Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, emphasized the importance of digital and intelligent transition in the shipping industry, showcased the innovative achievements and significant contributions of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in the field of shipping. He hopes that this forum can promote exchanges and cooperation, and jointly promote the high-quality development of the shipping industry. 

Brilliant Keynote Speeches

Xu Zuyuan, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport of China and Chief Expert of Decision-making Consulting of the China Association for Science and Technology, delivered a brilliant speech titled “Developing New Shipping Ecology by Fostering New Quality Productive Forces”. In his speech, he elaborated on four core concepts: firstly, deepening reform to further unleash the effectiveness of fundamental institutional policies; secondly, focusing on digital intelligence to help improve the service levels; thirdly, accelerating the formation of a new domestic and international cooperative relationship based on standards; fourthly, promptly establishing a mechanism for assessing and utilizing shipping talents based on the goal of enhancing the level of scientific and technological innovation. At the end of the speech, he particularly emphasized the strategic significance of building an ecosystem for the development of the shipping industry, and made a strong appeal to call on colleagues in the industry to follow the concept of scientific and technological innovation, promote the shipping industry to a new stage of high-quality development, create a new chapter in the shipping industry, and contribute to the Chinese path to modernization.

Ling Wen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chairman of the Shandong Association for Science & Technology, and Chair Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, profoundly elaborated on the connotation, significance, current practice status, and existing problems of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) concept in the context of challenges to the global sustainable development goals, and emphasized building the marine Harmony operating system based on the OpenHarmony system, which serves as an innovative path to promote the digital transition and sustainable development of the shipping industry.

Andreas Nordseth, Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority, delivered a keynote speech on the challenges faced by the shipping industry in the process of digital transition. He pointed out that digital system has a huge impact on improving ship safety, promoting green process, and enhancing operation efficiency. He called for strengthening international cooperation to jointly address various challenges arising from the application of digital technology in the shipping industry, and form a common digital vision and strategy.

Chen Yangfan, Executive Vice President of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, delivered a wonderful speech on “Building a New Future of Shipping Through Digital and Intelligent Transition”. With the core concept of digital transition of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, he made a detailed demonstration of the outstanding practices of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited in digitalization and intelligentization from five aspects: independent R&D innovation, building new digital infrastructure, stimulating new application momentum, shaping a path of co-innovation, and building a new ecology of cooperation. 

Roberto P. Cazzulo, Chair of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), delivered a keynote speech titled “IACS’s Vision for Supporting Digital and Intelligent Transition”, expressing IACS’s support for promoting the digital and intelligent transition of the shipping industry; in this speech, he also focused on the development of intelligent ships and intelligent shipyards, and further discussed the integration and application of cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and block-chain in the shipping ecosystem. Meanwhile, he pointed out the challenges in the process of digital transition, including data security, technology integration, etc.

CCS Vice President Zhao Yan expressed profound insights on the theme of “Trends and Practices of Digital Transition in the Shipping Industry”. He pointed out that digital transition has become the only road for the maritime industry to adapt to the development of the times. Currently, digital technology has been widely applied in design, construction, operation, etc., which significantly improves industry efficiency and safety. Zhao Yan emphasized that technologies such as digital twins, artificial intelligence, inter-connectivity, etc. are profoundly reshaping the maritime industry. However, the industry also faces challenges including outdated regulation, difficult data sharing, etc. In this regard, CCS has provided solid support for industry transition by means of building intelligent knowledge centers, promoting digital inspection, etc. At the same time, he called on the industry to work together, improve the regulatory system, and create an open data ecosystem to ensure that the shipping industry can steadily move forward on the path of digital transition and march towards a new stage of high-quality development.

Later, here came a round table discussion on the digital and intelligent transition of the shipping industry. 

Authoritative experts and industry elites have participated in this session, including Professor Hu Hao from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Academician Li Dehong from Zhejiang University, Vice President Zhao Chunji of China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd., Zhang Liwei, Regional Director (China) of the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Stephen Gordon, Managing Director of Clarkson Research Services Limited, as well as Vice President Li Lu of Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI), etc. 

Under the careful organization of the host, they expressed their profound and unique insights on core issues including how can universities cultivate the digital and intelligent skills in shipping major students, practical cases of enterprises in digital and intelligent development, directions of government policy support, international impact and future development trends of digital and intelligent transition on the shipping industry, R&D and promotion of intelligent ships, etc.

During the two rounds of discussions, the guests also exchanged views on the key topic of “How to promote digital and intelligent transition of the shipping industry through innovation”, sharing valuable experience to the future transition and upgrading of the shipping industry. 

Climactic Session----Results Release Conference

The debut of “Jin Gang Lun 36”, the highly intelligent tugboat with autonomous escort capabilities in the world, has showcased the latest achievements of the shipping industry in intelligent technology innovation. Meanwhile, the intelligent management and value-added path of ship data released by Shanghai Jiao Tong University has provided a new perspective for the development and utilization of data resources in the shipping industry.

The successful convening of the “Digitalization and Intelligentization Forum” of the 2024 North Bund Forum has not only highlighted the inevitable trend of digital and intelligent transition in the shipping industry, but also provided a valuable platform for communication, mutual learning, and common development for the domestic and international shipping industries, academia, and government departments. 

Looking ahead to the future, we are full of confidence and believe that under the strong promotion of digitalization and intelligentization, the shipping industry will usher in a new era of more efficient, green, and sustainable development.