Technological innovation has increasingly become the driving force to promote the development and structural upgrading of the shipping industry and the shipbuilding industry. It is an important way for the future green and intelligent development of the shipping industry. In order to adapt to the new development trend of the industry, China Classification Society (CCS) has made special efforts on  preparation of guidelines for the qualification and approval of new technologies and designs. CCS has made full investigation on the application of relevant new technologies in marine product design and manufacturing, ship design and manufacturing, ship operation,etc., and carried out analysis of the application scenarios of various new technologies in different degree of maturities, and thus has established the corresponding evaluation system for new technology application qualification, and developed the Guidelines for Qualification of New Technology Applications (2024). The Guidelines will officially come into effect on April 1, 2024.

The Guidelines have stipulated the basic process for  qualification of new technology applications. New technology qualification stage is divided into New Technology Qualification for Products and New Technology Qualification for Ship Applications, including concept approval stage, prototype validation stage, system integration approval stage, product onboard application approval stage, as well as ship design review stage and ship application verification stage.The Guidelines have further specified the implementation of the  plan for qualification of new technology applications, which includes engineering assessment, risk assessment, iterative design upgrading based on assessment results, and further evaluation and verification at each qualification stage. The guidelines also provide detailed requirements for engineering assessment, risk assessment, onboard application qualification, and the issuance of relevant certificates.

The Guidelines provide guidance on the process of qualification and implementation of new technology application on ships and offshore facilities, and will play an important role in promoting the application of various new technologies on ships and offshore facilities.