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HONG KONG, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Marintec China 2025 has drawn to a triumphant close, leaving Shanghai abuzz with the energy of a maritime industry in full stride. From 2–5 December, the Shanghai New International Expo Centre became the beating heart of global shipping, hosting what has now been confirmed as the largest and most influential maritime exhibition in the world. With records shattered across every metric, the event has cemented its reputation as the indispensable meeting ground for those charting the future of seaborne trade and technology.
Marintec China 2025
This year's edition was remarkable not merely for its size but for its breadth of participation. More than 2,200 companies from over 40 countries and regions exhibited across 11 halls, covering 110,000 square metres, a 15 per cent increase on the previous edition. Sixteen national and regional pavilions underscored the truly international nature of the show, while 101,829 professional visitors from more than 100 countries attended, representing shipowners, cargo interests, financiers, legal specialists, and technology providers.
Foreign exhibiting companies accounted for nearly half of the total, a striking reminder that Marintec is not a domestic showcase but a global barometer of maritime priorities. The atmosphere throughout was one of purposeful engagement, with delegates keen to seize the opportunity to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and witness the unveiling of cutting‑edge innovations. The sheer diversity of participants from Scandinavian shipbuilders to Middle Eastern port authorities, lent the exhibition a cosmopolitan character, reinforcing Shanghai's role as a crossroads of global maritime commerce.
SENIOR MARITIME FORUM: GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Running concurrently with the exhibition, the Senior Maritime Forum provided a high‑level platform for shipbuilders, shipowners, suppliers, and policymakers from around the world. Themed "Smart Navigation, Green Symbiosis, Convergent Innovation", the forum featured sessions on shipbuilding and ocean engineering, shipping and ports, marine finance and law, and equipment technology.
International speakers from the European shipowners' associations, leading banks, and regulatory bodies addressed critical challenges such as decarbonisation pathways, regulatory frameworks, and investment priorities. Discussions transcended regional concerns, focusing instead on collective strategies for sustainability, digitalisation, and resilience. The forum's global scope was evident in the diversity of its panels, which ranged from the financing of green fleets to the legal complexities of cross‑border carbon regulation.
Delegates remarked upon the frankness of the exchanges: rather than polite platitudes, the sessions were marked by robust debate, with shipowners pressing regulators for clarity and financiers urging industry to accelerate investment in clean technologies. The forum thus served not only as a platform for knowledge‑sharing but as a crucible for shaping the policies and practices that will define maritime commerce in the decades ahead.
MARINTEC INNOVATION – ENERGYTEC: SPOTLIGHT ON FUTURE ENERGY
Debuting in 2025, the Energytec Zone was dedicated to alternative energy sources and their supply chains. Sessions covered hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, electrification, nuclear power, and renewable sources, with keynote addresses from senior executives and classification societies.
The Energytec programme highlighted the maritime industry's urgent need to accelerate the energy transition. Panels explored investment priorities, innovation pathways, and policy alignment. The "Innovation Dock", powered by DNV Group, showcased collaborative approaches to navigating the energy transition, with live demonstrations of hydrogen fuel cells and ammonia bunkering systems.
This zone underscored Marintec's role as a barometer of global maritime priorities, reflecting the industry's commitment to low‑ and zero‑carbon technologies. The debates were lively, with advocates of nuclear propulsion sparring with champions of electrification, while investors weighed the relative merits of methanol versus hydrogen. What emerged was a clear consensus: the industry must diversify its energy portfolio, embracing multiple pathways to achieve net‑zero emissions.
MARINTEC CRUISE INTERIORS: REDEFINING PASSENGER EXPERIENCE
The Cruise Interiors Zone celebrated excellence in cruise ship design, focusing on comfort, culture, and innovation at sea. Exhibitors and speakers highlighted evolving passenger expectations, sustainability in interiors, and culturally inspired design. Sessions at The Theatre featured thought leaders discussing trends in cruise interiors, while The Deck provided a networking hub for designers, suppliers, and cruise operators.
By spotlighting interiors, Marintec broadened its scope beyond engineering and energy, acknowledging the importance of passenger‑centric innovation in the maritime sector. Sustainability and cultural relevance emerged as defining themes, with several exhibitors unveiling eco‑friendly materials and design concepts tailored to diverse cultural markets.
The zone was particularly well‑received by Asian cruise operators, who emphasised the need for interiors that resonate with local cultural aesthetics. British designers, meanwhile, showcased innovations in modular cabin layouts, enabling cruise lines to reconfigure spaces swiftly in response to passenger demand. The result was a vivid demonstration of how passenger experience is becoming central to cruise competitiveness.
INNOVATION AT THE FOREFRONT
Across the exhibition, innovation emerged as the defining theme, with breakthroughs spanning every corner of the maritime sector. Low‑ and zero‑carbon propulsion technologies took centre stage, with ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, and LNG engines showcased alongside advanced hybrid systems that promise to reshape vessel efficiency.
Smart shipping solutions were equally prominent, from autonomous vessel prototypes to integrated digital platforms and AI‑driven fleet management tools, signalling a future of safer and more intelligent navigation. In the realm of offshore energy and subsea engineering, deep‑sea equipment and advanced materials demonstrated how technology is pushing boundaries beneath the waves.
The exhibition also broadened its scope to embrace passenger‑centric innovation, with cruise interiors highlighting sustainable design and cultural creativity as key drivers of competitiveness. Finally, the Energytec Zone provided a dedicated platform for future energy systems, sparking lively debates on electrification and nuclear power as part of the industry's wider transition to cleaner fuels.
Together, these innovations underscored Marintec China's role as a global showcase of ingenuity and ambition, charting a course towards a greener, smarter maritime future.
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
Marintec China 2025 was not merely a showcase of products; it was a forum for forging partnerships. Agreements were signed between European classification societies and Asian shipyards, while British firms announced collaborations with Middle Eastern ports to pilot smart logistics solutions. Such partnerships highlight the event's role as a catalyst for global cooperation, with memoranda of understanding inked on everything from green financing to digital port management.
The exhibition floor buzzed with announcements: joint ventures to develop hydrogen bunkering infrastructure, alliances to standardise digital port operations, and partnerships to finance the retrofitting of older vessels with cleaner technologies. These collaborations underscored the industry's recognition that no single nation or company can tackle the challenges of decarbonisation and digitalisation alone.
Even as the exhibition drew to a close, the halls remained crowded, testament to the enthusiasm of participants and the relevance of the content. Professional presentations, interactive demonstrations, and lively discussions created an atmosphere of energy and optimism. The event was not merely a showcase of technology but a celebration of the maritime industry's resilience and ingenuity.
Observers noted the palpable sense of community: shipowners mingled with engineers, financiers debated with designers, and policymakers engaged directly with innovators. The conviviality extended beyond the exhibition halls, with evening receptions and cultural events reinforcing the sense that Marintec is as much about relationships as it is about technology.
#MARINTECCARES: SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AT THE CORE
Beyond the record‑breaking scale and technological innovation, Marintec China 2025 distinguished itself through the launch of the #MarintecCares programme, a comprehensive initiative designed to embed sustainability and social responsibility into every facet of the exhibition.
The campaign promoted eco‑friendly exhibition practices, including reduced single‑use plastics, enhanced recycling facilities, and energy‑efficient lighting across all halls. Exhibitors were encouraged to adopt greener booth designs, with several national pavilions showcasing reusable modular structures that will serve future editions.
By embedding #MarintecCares into the very fabric of the exhibition, the organisers signalled that sustainability is no longer a side theme but a central pillar of maritime progress. The initiative resonated strongly with visitors and exhibitors alike, reinforcing Marintec's reputation as the leading global barometer of maritime priorities.
LOOKING AHEAD
Marintec China 2025 consolidated its position as the premier international maritime exhibition. With record‑breaking participation, groundbreaking innovations, and far‑reaching collaborations, it transcended its geographical location to become a truly global event. The Senior Maritime Forum, Energytec Zone, and Cruise Interiors exhibition added depth and diversity, ensuring that the event addressed not only engineering and energy but also finance, law, and passenger experience.
In an era defined by transformation, Marintec China 2025 offered clarity, inspiration, and direction. It was not merely an exhibition but a testament to the maritime industry's resilience, creativity, and determination. As the sector steers towards a greener and smarter horizon, Marintec will remain the indispensable platform where the world's maritime leaders meet, exchange, and shape the future together.
Marintec China 2025 will be remembered as a milestone in the industry's journey towards a sustainable future. It highlighted the urgency of decarbonisation, the promise of digitalisation, and the necessity of global collaboration. The conversations and partnerships forged in Shanghai will reverberate across shipyards, ports, and boardrooms worldwide.
The next edition, scheduled for 30 November – 3 December 2027, promises to build on this momentum, offering another opportunity for the global maritime community to convene, collaborate, and innovate.
Organisers:
Marintec China is organised and managed by Informa Markets and Shanghai Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers (SSNAME).
Informa Markets
Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organiser, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.
Shanghai Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SSNAME)
Shanghai Society of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineers (SSNAME), founded in early 1951, is the first scientific and technological society in the field of shipbuilding and marine engineering of the People's Republic of China. SSNAME currently has 5,000 individual members and more than 60 group members. It has 5 working Committees, 11 Specialized Committees and 3 Representative offices. As an important non-governmental scientific and technological society with high reputation and influence in the international field of shipbuilding and marine engineering, SSNAME has been committed to promoting the progress of shipbuilding and marine engineering technology and international exchanges and cooperation. SSNAME has established closely cooperative relations with 14 well-known overseas maritime engineering societies, such as SNAME, RINA, STG, JSNAOE, SNAK and so on. It is the initiator and first chairman of the Pan-Asian Association of Maritime Engineering Societies (PAAMES) and is also a member of the International Standing Committee of the World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC). The "Xin Yixin Ship and Marine Engineering Science and Technology Innovation Award" founded by SSNAME has become an important award for scientific and technological talents. SSNAME organizes many academic exchanges, popular science and scientific and technological publication every year. For more information, please visit www.ssname.com.cn.
