On December 3rd, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) and Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology International Trade Fair Hamburg (SMM) held a press conference at the occasion of the 2025 International Maritime Exhibition and Conference for Asia (Marintec China) aiming to deepen technical exchanges in the maritime field between China and Europe and jointly advance the core issues of the maritime and marine industry in the future.
China and Europe Working Together: Jointly Addressing Challenges and Opportunities
"We have many partners in China. At this year's Marintec China, 75 enterprises participated in the exhibition and over 100 enterprises were involved in related activities. The Chinese shipbuilding industry is very large in scale. We hope to take this opportunity to promote cooperation between the two sides." Hauke Schlegel, the general manager of the VDMA Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Equipment Division, said.
Currently, decarbonization, digitalization, automation, alternative fuels, and supply chain resilience are common challenges faced by China and the European maritime industry. The close technical cooperation between China and Europe is one of the core driving forces for the future development of the maritime industry. "Germany and the European equipment manufacturing supporting industry have global-leading technological strength. We have successfully carried out cooperation with Chinese shipbuilding enterprises and technical partners in multiple projects," Hauke Schlegel said. "Such cooperation will benefit both sides and accelerate the process of technological progress in the maritime industry."
"Every component of a ship should strive to continuously optimize for carbon reduction." As a representative of German equipment enterprises, Lars Greich, the managing director of Mecklenburg Metal Casting Co., Ltd., introduced that modern propeller technology can significantly reduce ship fuel consumption and carbon emissions through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimization, fluid dynamics improvement, and modification design. These joint innovation projects can bring substantial progress to improving efficiency and the decarbonization process. Klaus Drehwa of Lentjes GmbH focused on the trend of hybridization of German ship power systems and deeply analyzed the latest developments in marine transmission technology.
Focus on Hamburg: Collaborating for the Global Maritime Future
"The SMM Hamburg is a stage where the global maritime and marine industry focus. In 2026, we will once again gather international enterprises, innovation leaders and decision-makers - with a particular emphasis on three core issues: decarbonization, digitalization and resilient supply chains." Klaus-Ulrich Selbach, the vice president of maritime exhibitions at SMM Hamburg, stated at the press conference. Currently, the cooperative relationship between European technology suppliers and Chinese shipbuilding enterprises is booming. Against this backdrop, SMM has become one of the important platforms for the global maritime industry to obtain the latest industry developments and promote deeper cooperation.
It is reported that SMM will be held in Hamburg, Germany from September 1st to 4th, 2026. This exhibition is expected to attract over 2,200 exhibitors from approximately 60 countries, as well as about 48,000 professional visitors from over 100 countries. The exhibition area totals 90,000 square meters and consists of 12 exhibition halls. It will focus on four major areas: maritime safety, artificial intelligence, decarbonization technology, and digitalization and sustainable technology, presenting the entire value chain of the maritime industry. During the exhibition, there will be a variety of free-to-the-public forum activities, including the Maritime Future Summit focusing on digital transformation, the Global Maritime Environmental Conference discussing environmental solutions, the international conference dedicated to maritime safety and defense, and the Maritime Dialogue Forum centered around sustainable utilization of the ocean.
The continuous development of the global shipping industry not only manifests in maritime transportation but also in the port sector. Notably, the All About Ports new conference and exhibition section will be launched concurrently at the Hamburg Convention Center in 2026, adding a new core content highlight to the exhibition. This event focuses on the core issues of the future of port economy, covering areas such as digitalization, automation, sustainable development, safety assurance, and logistics efficiency - and Chinese ports are at the forefront of these areas globally. The All About Ports section will showcase European concepts and technical solutions in port construction, facilitating international dialogues on future sustainable development models of ports worldwide.