China International Maritime Technology Academic Conference and Exhibition 2025 (Marintec China 2025), inaugurated in the early days of China's reform and opening-up and hailed as the global maritime industry's "barometer," will be held in Shanghai from December 2 to 5, 2025. Under the theme "Innovation and Cooperation for a Sustainable Maritime Future," this edition sets new records in exhibition scale, exhibitor lineup, and professional activities, solidifying its position as the world's largest maritime event overall. It aims to build a comprehensive, multi-level bridge and platform for international maritime exchange and cooperation, injecting new momentum into the high-quality and sustainable development of the global maritime industry while steering it towards a greener, smarter, and more collaborative future.
Affected by constraints in shipbuilding capacity and global economic uncertainties, global new shipbuilding order volume is projected to see a significant decline this year. However, Clarksons forecasts that annual new vessel orders could still reach around 120 million deadweight tons (dwt), remaining at a relatively high historical level. According to data from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in the first three quarters of this year, China's three major shipbuilding indicators, measured in dwt, accounted for 53.8%, 67.3%, and 65.2% of the global total respectively, maintaining its leading global position and demonstrating strong industrial resilience. Looking ahead, factors on both the supply and demand sides—such as the scrapping of older vessels, the release of demand for greener vessel updates, and the difficulty of significantly expanding high-quality shipbuilding capacity in the short term—are expected to continue supporting new vessel prices at relatively high historical levels. Meanwhile, data from DNV's "Alternative Fuels Insight" platform shows that new orders for alternative-fueled vessels in the first half of 2025 increased by 78% compared to the entirety of 2024, highlighting the industry's substantial development potential.
Benefiting from the brand influence of Marintec China and the dividends of the global shipbuilding industry's "supercycle," Marintec China 2025, as the global maritime "barometer," once again becomes a center for global maritime wisdom, exchange, and win-win cooperation. This edition features 11 exhibition halls, achieving a new scale record with an exhibition area exceeding 110,000 square meters. It has attracted over 2,200 exhibitors from more than 40 countries and regions, including 16 national and overseas regional pavilions from Denmark, Norway, Germany, among others. Overseas exhibitors account for 43%. Registered visitor levels have further increased compared to the previous edition, with an expected attendance of over 100,000 professional visitors from more than 100 countries and regions, further consolidating its status as the world's premier maritime exhibition.
Halls N1-N4 are designated for international exhibitors. Norway is the "Partner Country" this year, and the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries will lead a high-level delegation. The German pavilion remains the largest international group, with the Cypriot pavilion being a new addition. Industry giants such as HD Hyundai (Korea), Fincantieri (Italy), Wärtsilä (Finland), Rolls-Royce (UK), Cummins (USA), Eviny (Germany), Siemens (Germany), ABB (Switzerland), Oceanergy (Switzerland), Schneider Electric (France), MacGregor (Finland), Kongsberg (Norway), and Huisman (Netherlands), along with major international classification societies like ABS, DNV, and LR, will continue their presence at this edition.
Halls W1-W7 are designated for Chinese domestic exhibitors, with the overall scale increasing significantly by 20%. The participation of 1,200 purely domestic enterprises showcases the strength of China's ship and marine engineering industrial chain. Exhibitors come from 24 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. Regional pavilions have been organized by Zhoushan (Zhejiang), Nantong and Zhenjiang (Jiangsu), and Pudong (Shanghai). Major Chinese enterprises like China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), COSCO SHIPPING Group, China Merchants Industry Group, ZPMC, China Classification Society (CCS), and Hengli continue their participation. The university exhibition area, featuring Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Harbin Engineering University, Wuhan University of Technology, and Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, will be further strengthened. The Student Maker Zone will continue to display outstanding works from the National Underwater Vehicle Design and Production Competition.
Low-carbon and even zero-carbon solutions are a major focus of the global maritime industry. This edition introduces the inaugural Energytec Future Energy Zone, concentrating on the latest technologies and products from global marine-related new energy enterprises and comprehensively presenting solutions in this field. A dedicated networking area in Hall N4 will host multiple events, primarily roundtable discussions, focusing on alternative energy and its supply chain. Topics will include themed discussions, new fuels, electrification, nuclear power, and natural energies like wind and solar, extending from technical exploration to commercial cooperation, balancing international perspectives with local practice. The "Cruise Interiors Zone" in Hall N3 returns with double the scale of the previous edition, gathering key interior outfitting companies from both China and abroad alongside local supply chain enterprises, creating a complete industrial ecosystem with core players from the global cruise industry. This zone will offer richer thematic activities, inviting industry thought leaders and design experts to share the latest insights on design trends, sustainability, and passenger experience upgrades.
The concurrent Advanced Maritime Forum centers on the theme "Smart Navigation, Green Coexistence, and Integrated Innovation." Its five sessions are: "Plenary Session," "Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering," "Shipping and Ports," "Maritime Finance and Law," and "Ship and Offshore Equipment Technology." The "Plenary Session," "Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering," "Shipping and Ports," and "Ship and Offshore Equipment Technology" sessions will focus on digitalization/intelligentization and greening, inviting authoritative industry experts, shipbuilders, equipment manufacturers, research institutes, and related parties to introduce the latest trends, innovative technologies, and equipment in green, energy-saving, low-carbon, and environmental protection within the maritime sector. The "Maritime Finance and Law" session brings together authoritative figures from financial institutions, legal bodies, exchanges, universities, and other fields to analyze the current ship financing environment and how to address legal disputes, with an expected attendance of 1,200 delegates.
In addition to the Advanced Maritime Forum, during the exhibition, various maritime organizations and enterprises will host hundreds of concurrent events, including forums, technical exchanges, product launches, signing ceremonies, and award ceremonies. CSSC will organize a series of activities for its "Science and Technology Innovation Week," and the Pudong New Area Government will again host the "Pudong Shipping Week."
This edition has intensified efforts to invite cargo owners, shipowners, financial institutions, and legal firms. Current registration data shows senior executives and procurement/newbuilding managers from shipowners worldwide, as well as responsible personnel from almost all global major shipbuilders, have signed up to visit. Visitor numbers from target groups related to featured zones—such as cruise ship owners, shipyards, repairers, maritime energy suppliers, and port service providers—have also shown significant growth. Digitalization efforts are further enhanced, with continuous optimization of the WeChat mini-program, which will continue to provide one year of online value-added services after the event concludes.
Having accumulated over forty years of experience, Marintec China has grown into an indispensable global platform for maritime exchange. At this critical juncture of transformation for the global maritime industry, Marintec China 2025, grounded in the realities of China's maritime development, is poised to host a world-class maritime event demonstrating global vision, Chinese characteristics, and industry benchmarks. It will provide a more comprehensive forum to explore how Chinese and international maritime industries can strengthen cooperation and exchange under new circumstances, consolidate development synergies, and jointly write a new chapter for the sustainable development of the global maritime industry.
