AI-Driven Smart Development Takes Center Stage at Marine Expo as Major SOEs and Leading Companies Gather

The 2026 China Marine Economy Expo ("Haibohui") officially opened in Shenzhen on October 22. A standout highlight of this year's expo is "digital and intelligent" development, with artificial intelligence (AI) empowering the marine economy and the entire upstream and downstream chain of above-water and underwater industries. New products and technologies, including intelligent route planning, autonomous ship navigation, and embodied intelligence for underwater applications, made their debut. Some experts, in interviews, said that the rapid development of digital intelligence technologies combined with AI is driving the marine economy into a new stage that is accelerating, with data as a core element and intelligence as the core driving force. At this year's expo, many large central state-owned enterprises and leading companies exhibited together. China Merchants Group, CCCC Group, CIMC, and Shenzhen Mawan Smart Port showcased innovations in smart shipping, marine engineering, and port scenarios. Technology companies including Huawei, Hikvision, China Telecom, and China Unicom presented cross-sector solutions covering marine large models, deep-sea networking communications, submarine cables and underwater connectors, and digital twin oceans.