Global Deep-Sea Scientific and Technological Innovation Forces to Gather in Hainan, China

Sanya, China (ANTARA/Xinhua-AsiaNet)- The Fourth Hainan Free Trade Port International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum and Deep-Sea Technology Innovation Conference will be held from November 3 to 6, 2026, at Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City High-Tech Zone in China.

The conference, which is held by the Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, is positioned as "a new home ground for global deep-sea innovation forces." It will feature one main forum, seven parallel forums, and three supporting events. The conference will bring together participants to exchange insights on topics including deep-sea frontier science, high-end equipment manufacturing, marine biomedicine, the integration of open-ocean cultural tourism, marine cultural heritage protection, and deep-sea oil and gas engineering, and to explore how deep-sea technological innovation and industrial application can develop in tandem.

In recent years, Hainan has stepped up its efforts to build capacity for deep-sea scientific and technological innovation. The National Marine Comprehensive Testing Site (Deep Sea) has been put into operation, and major scientific research infrastructure such as the seafloor scientific observation network is under accelerated construction. Technological R&D and industrial deployment in fields such as deep-sea oil and gas development and marine engineering equipment have continued to deepen. Meanwhile, Hainan has been actively expanding deep-sea scientific and technological cooperation with the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Singapore, and other countries and regions, advancing the sharing of research resources, exchanges of key technologies, and joint research.

As a key hub for Hainan's deep-sea scientific and technological innovation, Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City has so far attracted more than 1,400 marine-related enterprises across fields such as deep-sea exploration equipment, marine observation, and deep-sea energy security, providing solid support for research institutions and enterprises to carry out technological R&D and commercialize research outcomes.

The conference has been held for three consecutive editions since 2023, with international participation steadily on the rise. The geographic reach of participants has continued to expand: the number of participating countries increased from nearly 20 at the inaugural edition to 25 at the third, while the number of participating institutions grew from 170 to more than 250.

The first three editions of the conference have yielded a series of cooperation outcomes, including the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Egypt in marine scientific research, the release of documents such as the Hainan Free Trade Port Consensus and the Consensus on Pooling Deep-Sea Big Science Research and Advancing Global Abyssal Exploration, as well as the founding of the Underwater Robot Industry Alliance and the creation of a deep-sea technology venture capital fund.