Innovation Breakthrough for Chinese Shipbuilding Industry

Reporter Yang Peiju

The “two sessions” this year has promoted "Chinese manufacturing 2025 plan” to be the national strategy. The "Internet +" has become an important starting point for transformation and upgrading of manufacturing industry. In this context, how can Chinese shipbuilding industry make use of the national strategy to realize the transformation and become strong?

This round of financial crisis not only has inflicted huge blow to the traditional industry, but also has boosted a new round of technological and industrial revolution. In this regard, both developed and emerging countries in the world have launched a new round of innovation development strategy with information strategy as the focus to seek initiative in their future development. For example, USA,Germany, France, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore etc. have introduced corresponding development plans.Ning Tao, researcher of China Waterborne Transportation Institute believes that in the face of development plans from various countries, China has overtaken with "Chinese manufacturing 2025 plan" and "Internet +".

The innovation of the shipbuilding industry and of other industries are related to the overall environment of the national innovation. He believes that there are three points worthy of attention and strengthening: the first is to effectively protect intellectual property rights. If the intellectual property rights of enterprises can not be effectively protected, enterprises would not have suf fi cient driving force to engage in innovation. The most important thing for intellectual property protection is to create a fair competition, fair law enforcement environment, and all enterprises, whether private or state-owned, large or small should be no exception. The second is to break the monopolization, cut rent-seeking channels, making enterprise unable to obtain huge pro fi ts without creation.The third is to reward advantage resource in the market competition. If the three points cannot materialize, there would be the phenomenon of "bad money driving out the good". Therefore, to promote the innovation of science and technology, it is very important for the government to start innovation in its policy, taxation, law, finance,education, science and technology, intellectual property and other related systems. As long as these innovation elements are in place, the innovation of enterprises can easily become true.

For every domestic enterprise, accelerating innovation is the only way out. First of all, the domestic shipyards and equipment enterprises should be resolute and use internet technology to strengthen gradual innovation, so that the enterprise can solid its professional foundation, optimize and enhance the product reliability and quality, and establish the artisan spirit.

Secondly, enterprises should actively embrace internet,strengthen integrated innovation and subversive innovation.At present, the rapid development of internet technology is deeply changing the mode of industrial production,and even the economic structure and social structure.The era of all things being connected in internet has arrived. In the future, the equipment onboard processing intelligently in accordance with internet system will be the general trend. With the help of modern broadband satellite communication technology, management personnel onshore can monitor real-time the entire ship or some key equipment, realizing online management. Meanwhile, they can realize efficient management of the supply chain all over the globe by networking and collaborative commerce system. In addition, when all the equipment of the ship and systems have become intelligent and networking, the Internet will make unmanned ship possible. There is no doubt that the Internet will bring subversive changes to the shipyards and all equipment enterprises.

Thirdly, enterprises should speed up "going out". In this regard, Guo Dacheng, President of China Shipbuilding Industry Association said that this year China will promote establishment of “One Belt and One Road” and Yangtze River economic belt, which will create good condition for Chinese shipbuilding industry to speed up structural adjustment and transformation development. Shipbuilding enterprises in China should seriously study and grasp the market opportunities brought by the implementation of the national strategy, develop as early as possible the marine equipment products to meet the market demand of emerging economic entities along “One Belt and One Road” and developing countries, develop productive modern service industry related to marine industry and build the new engine for economic growth in the new pattern of regional cooperation.