On February 17th, the inauguration of the Deep-Sea Equipment Testing Pool and the 4th International Symposium on Deep-Sea Offshore Engineering took place in Qingdao. The event brought together over 300 experts, scholars, and industry representatives from more than 100 institutions around the world, all specializing in naval architecture and ocean engineering. Under the theme "Deep Sea, Green Technology, Digitalization, and Intelligence," attendees engaged in discussions focused on advancing deep-sea offshore engineering and promoting the sustainable exploitation of marine renewable energy resources.

SUN Yonghong, a member of the Standing Committee of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee, and SONG Yingdong, President of Harbin Engineering University (HEU), attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Other distinguished guests included LI Huajun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor at Ocean University of China; HOU Baorong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Marine Corrosion and Protection; HAO Fang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of China University of Petroleum (East China); and YIN Jingwei, Vice President of HEU. Professor XIA Guihua chaired the conference proceedings.

In his speech, SUN Yonghong highlighted the West Coast New Area’s growing focus on modern marine industries, particularly marine engineering equipment and new marine materials, which are contributing to the area’s dynamic "blue economy." He expressed the hope that the symposium would facilitate deeper exchanges and collaboration among experts and scholars, further advancing marine renewable energy development and supporting the high-quality growth of the marine economy.

During the symposium, several significant agreements were signed, including the co-construction of the "Qingdao Deep-Sea Equipment Testing and Research Center," the "Joint Industrial Project on Hydrodynamic Performance Pool Testing for Deep-Sea Floating Wind Power Platforms," and the establishment of the "Alliance for the Joint Development of Offshore Floating Wind Power Equipment."

The symposium also featured the official launch of the Deep-Sea Equipment Testing Pool. Equipped with advanced testing capabilities, including wind and wave generation, a movable false bottom, and state-of-the-art testing equipment, the pool supports hydrodynamic testing for a variety of deep-sea equipment, including marine floating platforms, offshore wind turbines, deep-sea mining technologies, and polar ice-capable vessels.

Additionally, the Qingdao Deep-Sea Equipment Testing and Research Center was officially unveiled. This center focuses on pioneering fields such as deep-sea engineering, offshore renewable energy, and deep-sea mining. It serves as a collaborative research platform, integrating scientific research, experimental testing, and engineering design.

The symposium was co-organized by the International Organization for Innovation and Cooperation in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, the Administrative Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area, the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Harbin Engineering University, and Wuhu Shipyard Co., Ltd