SHENZHEN is ramping up efforts to complete 10 marine engineering projects aimed at becoming a global maritime hub, according to the city’s planning authority.

The 10 projects refer to an international and comprehensive ocean university, an academy of marine science, a global marine think tank, a deep-sea comprehensive logistics support base, an international tuna trade center, a star maritime company represented by China Ocean Engineering Corp., a maritime development bank, a marine industry development fund, an international maritime court and an international marine economy expo.

At present, the city has handled 65 key tasks related to these 10 engineering projects. It is expected that 44 of them will be concluded by 2020 and the remaining 21 tasks will achieve a certain scale, according to the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.

Understanding that the development of a maritime hub cannot be achieved without innovation in marine science and technology, Shenzhen has attached great importance to this aspect in recent years by building an innovation highland for marine science and technology, developing maritime education and attracting talents majoring in marine science.

As of 2018, the city had built five marine laboratories at both the national and provincial levels, and 20 at the city level.

It introduced China Shipbuilding Industry Group and universities like Harbin Engineering University and China Ocean University to set up marine science research institutes. Shenzhen Graduate School of Tsinghua University was also inaugurated.

Additionally, the city is promoting the construction of a maritime museum and park in Dapeng New Area. The city will develop a marine science and technology innovation system to boost its innovation and transformation capabilities.

A staffer with China General Nuclear Power Corp. suggested that the city protect the marine ecological environment in order to become a global marine hub.

(Wang Jingli)