Industry News

On November 6th, the design and construction contract for the first domestically produced large cruise ship was officially signed at the first China International Import Expo. In addition to the project participants, some ship supporting enterprises were also excited. It is full of imagination what kind of development space and new opportunities will be brought to domestic ship supporting enterprises by Chinese ship enterprises entering the field of large cruise ship design and construction. The reporter learned that some domestic ship supporting enterprises have made layouts for cruise ship supporting in recent years, and conducted research and communication for domestic cruise ship projects, preparing for possible related bidding.

New opportunities in new fields

Large cruise ships are known as "mobile cities on the sea" due to their exquisite interior design, diverse entertainment facilities, and land-like layout. Their supporting projects are large in quantity, high in value, and strict in requirements. It is no exaggeration to say that the high added value of large cruise ships is mainly reflected in the supporting facilities, especially the interior decoration, which accounts for 40% to 60% of the total ship price. Yu Jianzhong, secretary general of the National Cruise Yacht Design Alliance, said that in recent years, China's shipbuilding enterprises have begun to venture into the new field of luxury cruise ship design and construction, including not only the first domestically produced large cruise ship project signed this time, but also the polar luxury cruise ship of China Merchants Group and the luxury passenger roll-on/roll-off ship construction project of Guangchuan International Co., Ltd. affiliated to China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Group, which have opened new windows and provided new directions for the development of domestic ship supporting enterprises.

Reporters learned that at the first China International Import Expo, Rongmei Cruise Technology Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CSIC's Jiujiang Industry Co., Ltd., signed a series of cooperation agreements with Germany's R&M Group, including the research and development of modular cabins for cruise ships. Xiao Kun, chairman of CSIC Jiujiang Company, stated that R&M Group is a top-tier supplier in the fields of luxury cruise ship interior design and engineering management. CSIC Jiujiang hopes to collaborate with R&M Group to develop modular cabin unit system capabilities, while also researching and producing new cabin products, moving towards the localization of cruise ship interiors.

In the face of the new field of cruise ship supporting, not only the subordinate enterprises of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, which have comprehensive and deep involvement in the design, construction and operation of large cruise ships, but also some private ship supporting enterprises that have been working in the fields of ship interior decoration and materials for many years are interested. Yang Jianhua, general manager of Wuhan Tianyong Modern Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd., which mainly engages in the design and construction of indoor and outdoor decoration engineering for ships and buildings, told reporters that the company is conducting relevant research on the first domestically produced large cruise ship project to see if it is possible to provide products and services in some supporting links. He also revealed that the company is actively preparing to participate in the bidding for the supporting project of two luxury passenger roll-on/roll-off ships of Guangzhou Shipyard International. "For domestic ship supporting enterprises, the supporting of luxury passenger roll-on/roll-off ships and large cruise ships is an important and rare opportunity to enter new business fields or even transform and upgrade," Yang Jianhua said.

When hearing the news of the signing of the design and construction contract for the first domestically produced large cruise ship, Chen Junlv, chairman of Jiangsu Jingcheng Marine Glass Co., Ltd., who specializes in the design, research and development, and production of marine glass, was at the site of the first China International Import Expo. He said that this is an exciting news for the domestic shipbuilding industry and believes that it will bring new development opportunities to the domestic shipbuilding industry. He introduced that the cruise ship glass developed by the company has been installed on both foreign and domestic cruise ships, and the electrochromic glass and flat power generation glass being developed will also be first applied to large cruise ships and special-purpose boats in the near future.

It is understood that there are currently five or six new and renovated cruise ship projects in China, and the demand for supporting facilities is not small. Yu Jianzhong said that if some of the supporting facilities for these projects can be undertaken by domestic enterprises, it will create conditions for their upgrading and development, and lay a foundation for supporting large cruise ships in the future. On the other hand, after the development of domestic cruise ship supporting facilities, it will also greatly promote the design and construction of various types of cruise ships in China.