en.Wedoany.com Reported - China Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. Wuhan Branch officially opened on July 9 at the Wuhan Shipbuilding Building. Established on April 10, 2026, with legal representative Zhao Dinggang, the branch primarily engages in ship manufacturing, design, repair, and marine engineering equipment.
Chen Gang, Party Secretary and Chairman of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, along with Vice Presidents Zhang Xuehui and Guo Yong, Director Xiong Yong, and heads of the Design Research Institute and Planning Department attended the ceremony. Government officials from Wuhan's Xinzhou District, along with representatives from Wuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, and Wuhan Institute of Shipbuilding Technology, witnessed the event. Since its preparatory phase began in March 2026, the Wuhan Branch has achieved initial operational readiness with support from the Xinzhou District Party Committee and Government, China Communications Construction Company, local universities, and various company departments.
Li Xianyong, District Mayor of Xinzhou, and Chen Gang jointly unveiled the plaque for the Wuhan Branch. Meanwhile, a joint talent cultivation base established by the School of Ship Power Engineering at Wuhan University of Technology and the Wuhan Branch was officially inaugurated. Meng Fangbing, Party Secretary of Wuhan University of Technology, extended congratulations on behalf of Wuhan's higher education institutions and expressed anticipation for deepened university-enterprise collaboration.
In his keynote speech, Chen Gang noted that industry competition has shifted from construction capability to technological innovation in design. He urged the Wuhan Branch to maintain political direction, strengthen talent teams, focus on core business, and enhance multi-party collaboration. During a subsequent video conference, Chen emphasized that the branch must prioritize innovation to support Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding's "15th Five-Year Plan" goals, deepen university partnerships, cultivate interdisciplinary talent, and apply AI technology to improve design efficiency.
Based in Central China, the Wuhan Branch will focus on ship R&D and design as its core mission, advancing industry-academia-research collaborative innovation. Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding is China's largest export-oriented shipbuilder, having delivered over 600 vessels and offshore products by the end of 2025, including the country's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City.
Hubei Province is a key inland waterway shipbuilding base in China, with four major industrial clusters in Wuhan, Yichang, Huanggang, and Jingzhou. It boasts a shipbuilding capacity of 5.31 million deadweight tons and over 300 shipbuilding enterprises. The province aims to achieve a total shipbuilding industry output value exceeding 130 billion yuan by 2027. Wuhan is positioning itself as a national hub for ship and marine design, focusing on high-value-added vessel types. Nearly 70% of China's electric ship power battery systems are produced in Wuhan.
