The 2017 China International Maritime Exhibition was held in Shanghai in December.

Hailed as a barometer of technological trends in the international maritime industry, the 2017 China International Maritime Exhibition, the most influential and largest maritime professional exhibition in the world this year, will be held in Shanghai from December 5th to 8th this year.

Since its inception in 1981, the China International Maritime Exhibition has been successfully held for 18 consecutive sessions, becoming a bridge and link for China and the international maritime community to seek comprehensive and multi-level cooperation. It is an important window for the international maritime community to understand China's shipbuilding and ocean engineering equipment, shipping, and port industries. It has played a positive role in promoting communication and cooperation in the fields of maritime technology, trade, ship financing, safety insurance, regulations, and environmental protection. Over the past 30 years, the scale and influence of the China International Maritime Exhibition have continued to expand, ranking among the top two in similar international exhibitions.

In recent years, the global shipbuilding and ocean engineering equipment market has remained sluggish, especially this year, with the international shipping market at a historic low. However, the China International Maritime Exhibition continues to show commendable growth. This year's exhibition is expected to attract over 2100 exhibiting companies and more than 65,000 professional visitors, with an exhibition area of 90,000 square meters. All three figures are expected to increase compared to the previous session, setting new records. This fully demonstrates the industry influence of the China International Maritime Exhibition.

As of the end of August, 15 national/regional pavilions have been confirmed: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan. According to statistics, among the 500 largest companies in the world recently announced by Fortune magazine, 5 out of 6 companies in the shipbuilding and shipping sector will be exhibiting at this year's exhibition, with all shipbuilding companies participating. In addition, among the world's top 500 energy companies, Lukoil, Sinopec, Gazprom, Total, and ExxonMobil have confirmed their participation in this year's exhibition. Also, Caterpillar ，ABB, Siemens, GE ，Bosch, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Schneider Electric, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, and CRRC, HNA, and CCCC, among other top 500 companies or their subsidiaries, will also participate in this year's exhibition.

Closely following the hot topics in the shipping market, this year's exhibition will feature a special luxury cruise section, focusing on the construction, design, and supporting facilities of luxury cruise ships. China's first domestically produced luxury cruise ship will be a key focus of this year's exhibition.

The shipbuilding industry has ushered in a new round of technological innovation in recent years. Intelligent ships, which were only conceptual research in the past two years, have become a key development direction for major shipbuilding countries. The IMO has conducted extensive in-depth discussions on related issues, and relevant conventions, rules, and standards are being developed. Japan, Europe, South Korea, and China have established several development alliances, promoting the development of unmanned and intelligent ships through cross-professional cooperation among research and development institutions, ship owners, shipbuilders, and supporting enterprises. It is expected that unmanned ships, intelligent ships, and related equipment and technologies will be a key focus of the exhibition for various companies.

A high-level maritime forum will also be held concurrently with the exhibition. This year's theme is "Innovation, Intelligent Manufacturing, and Synergy." It will be held from the afternoon of December 4th to December 7th at the Shanghai Pudong Kerry Hotel, adjacent to the exhibition hall. The forum will consist of six sessions: "Keynote Speeches," "Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering," "Shipping and Ports," "Luxury Cruise Ships," "Maritime Finance and Law," and "Ship and Ocean Engineering Supporting Equipment Technology." More than 50 renowned guests will discuss topics closely related to the national strategy of building a strong manufacturing country and the Belt and Road Initiative, including pilot boat the next ten years of the marine industry," "Luxury Cruise Ships—Integrated Innovation, Made in China," "Financial Innovation, Legal Protection, Jointly Promoting the Healthy Development of the Shipbuilding and Marine Industry," and "Opportunities and Challenges under New Regulations and Conventions." Industry experts such as Esben POULSSON, Chairman of the International Transport Workers' Federation, Dr. Sadan KAPTANOGLU, Chairman of the Baltic and International Maritime Council, Zhao Jinping, a renowned world economic research expert, Professor Martin STOPFORD, President of Clarkson Research Services, a leading maritime expert, Professor Gerhard STRASSER, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC), and Navin KUMAR, Director of Maritime Research at Drewry Maritime Research, have confirmed their participation in this year's forum.

In addition to the high-level maritime forum, various forums, technical exchanges, product launches, signing ceremonies, and award ceremonies will be held concurrently with the exhibition, organized by various maritime organizations and enterprises. These events will number in the hundreds. It is understood that the International Internal Combustion Engine Roundtable, the International Numerical Towing Tank Conference, and the International Symposium on Water Jet Propulsion will all be held during the exhibition.