New quality productive forces boost China's shipbuilding industry

In the 2024 government work report, the successful construction of a domestically produced large cruise ship was highlighted. Wang Qihong, a deputy to the National People's Congress and director of China State Shipbuilding Corporation's 725 Institute, emphasized the rapid development and significant achievements of China's shipbuilding industry in recent years. The country has now formed a comprehensive industrial system, maintaining a global lead in completed shipbuilding volume, new orders, and current order volume.

Wang noted the critical phase of transitioning from a major shipbuilding country to a powerful one, emphasizing the importance of leading in shipbuilding technology and material innovation worldwide. "With each generation of materials comes a generation of equipment. Major innovations and breakthroughs in materials will lead to a qualitative change in shipbuilding technology," Wang stated.

China has prioritized the strategic position of the shipbuilding industry, continuously improving its technological level, innovation capacity, and comprehensive strength through policy implementation. This has led to an increase in international competitiveness and a stable global market share.

"Shipbuilding, as a representation of China's advanced productive forces and an essential pillar of the national economy, should focus on national strategy, modern industrial system needs, and its own development requirements," stated Zhang Jinlan, NPC deputy and researcher at China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation's 719 Institute, during an interview. The government work report this year called for advancing the modernization of the industrial system and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.

Zhang believes that new quality productive forces represent a leap in productivity, predominantly driven by technological innovation. To cultivate these forces within the shipbuilding industry, strategies include fostering innovative talents, utilizing new production tools such as big data and artificial intelligence, and integrating innovation chains, industrial chains, funding chains, and talent chains to enhance the transformation of scientific achievements into industry.