Speakers from China’s shipbuilding, design and supply chain sectors highlighted the industry’s progress towards localisation, alongside the standards and certification gaps still shaping its growth trajectory at the 8th International Cruise Ship-Building Forum and Exhibition in Shanghai, China.
The first day of the forum brought together representatives from shipyards, research institutes and design studios to examine propulsion technology, generative artificial intelligence (AI) in ship design, and the role of cultural identity in shaping China’s cruise product.
Wang Shoufeng, deputy chief engineer at Shanghai Marine Equipment Research Institute, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, provided an overview of the country’s integrated electric propulsion programme, now used in more than 90 per cent of large newbuild projects globally. He outlined a phased technology roadmap running from dual-fuel and diesel-electric systems today through to battery-hybrid and, eventually, hydrogen fuel cell propulsion. China’s domestic podded propulsor programme has advanced from 400-kilowatt systems in 2015 to 10-megawatt-class units completed in 2024, with new test infrastructure now operational in Qingdao.
“Our goal is to achieve self-reliant cruise design, self-reliant construction, self-reliant outfitting and localisation by 2030,” said Wang.
Zhang Yuting, deputy manager of the commercial department at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Zhoushan), detailed the yard's cruise repair track record since 2017, which includes work for Royal Caribbean International, AIDA Cruises and other international operators. A new 300,000-tonne dry dock, scheduled for completion in July 2026, will add capacity for the largest cruise ships currently in service. Zhang cited the AIDACosma refit, completed with more than 1,000 crew remaining aboard, as an example of the operational complexity involved in servicing an active vessel.
The session continued with a presentation by Chen Gang, senior engineer at Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and technical lead on China's first large cruise ship programme, on the potential uses of AI in ship design. Chen set out the engineering constraints that any Al-assisted design tool must respect, from funnel placement relative to pool decks to sprinkler interference and structural material limits, arguing that generative tools are only as useful as the constraint logic built into them.
“If you properly encode the engineering constraints, Al can dramatically improve design efficiency,” said Chen.
In a separate session on onboard technology, Wang Xuhui, independent director of Zgingke Xingye (Sichuan) Technology Group, called for dedicated edge-computing infrastructure to be built into every cruise ship, rather than relying on satellite links to shore-based systems.
“Let cruise ships have their own brains, and the ocean becomes a stage of infinite possibility,” said Wang.
The closing sessions of the first day turned to the importance of design in defining the value of a ship to owners and guests. Peter S.S Tan, general manager for Asia at Tillberg Design of Sweden, outlined why design sits at the core of a cruise ship's commercial success, both through aesthetics and strategy. He argued that the right design company must deeply understand the destinations a ship will sail to, the demographics of its passengers, and the long-term vision of its owners and operators, suggesting that interiors have a central importance in shaping the long-term perception of a ship.
“Design is a contract a shipowner signs with a guest, at least for the next 25 years or more,” he said.
Peter S.S Tan of Tillberg Design of Sweden outlined the importance of design for a cruise ship's commercial success
The second day then shifted focus to classification standards, the Yangtze River cruise market, and China's interior outfitting supply chain, across three parallel sessions.
On the river cruise market, Jiang Zongjin of the China Shipowners Association reported a strong post-pandemic rebound, with the fleet consolidated to 48 ships across 14 operators. He identified mid- and lower-river long-haul routes on the Yangtze as an area that remains underdeveloped and highlighted that market penetration for river cruising is still below one per cent of Chinas population.
Tan Ming of the Chongqing Cruise Center presented the ‘Digital Cruise’ platform, a public digital infrastructure covering ticketing, passenger management, onboard sales and supply chain tracking, reporting self-checkout rates above 50 per cent on some vessels and meaningful reductions in food service and excursion staffing costs.
Liu Jianbin of Shanghai Star Glory Travel placed the Yangtze in global context, contrasting its regulated, capacity-constrained market with the more mature river cruise markets of Europe and the Americas, while pointing to expansion potential across other Chinese inland waterway systems including the Grand Canal and the Pearl, Xiang, Gan, Huai and Songhua/Heilongjiang rivers.
A session on China’s cruise manufacturing supply chain addressed the gap between China's manufacturing capability and its share of cruise-specific business. Abby Si, sales manager of South China Building Materials (Shenzhen), which is a general contractor on China’s domestic large cruise ship programme, said European contractors continue to hold roughly 90 per cent of interior fit-out subcontracts, even on Chinese-built ships.
Presentations from Haixing Marine Electric, Zibo Huayuan New Materials and Haining Huajianzi Textile covered marine lighting and life-safety systems, fire-resistant insulation materials and speciality textiles compliant with international flammability standards, including the French M1 rating. Each speaker pointed to certification barriers and limited brand recognition within the cruise segment, rather than manufacturing capability, as the primary obstacle to scaling domestic suppliers.
A post-conference tour of door manufacturer Senlin’s production facility showcased the company’s IMO-certified marine doors
Following the end of the conference sessions, attendees were invited to tour the headquarters of Chinese Shanghai Senlin Special Type Steel Door (Senlin), a door manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai with manufacturing facilities in both China and the USA. Representatives from Senlin showcased their current range of International Maritime Organization-certified A60 Windproof Fireproof doors at its Shanghai factory as they discussed plans for the development of cruise-specific products.
Adjacent to the conference, several exhibitors showcased their products and services for the cruise sector. Shipbuilders in attendance included Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding, and Guangzhou Shipyard International. Meanwhile, flooring manufacturer Herculan and its partner Flexdeq displayed their solutions for cruise newbuilds and refurbishments.