In accordance with the overall requirements of the 2025 China Maritime Week of the China Institute of Navigation and the annual work plan of the "Inland Navigation Structure High-Quality Development Forum" of the Ship Lock Professional Committee of the China Institute of Navigation, the Ship Lock Professional Committee, jointly with the Ship Lift Technology Professional Committee, held an open academic exchange seminar in Wuhan, Hubei Province from September 12 to 13, 2025. The seminar invited well-known experts and scholars in the industry, including Bao Qifan – honored as the "King of Grabs", former Vice President of Shanghai International Port Group, President of Shanghai Craftsman College, and National Model Worker – to conduct joint exchanges and discussions around the theme of "Science Empowers, Technology Innovates – Key Technologies for the Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Ship Lock (Ship Lift) Electromechanical Equipment".
The conference was sponsored by the China Institute of Navigation and co-organized by the Ship Lock Professional Committee of the China Institute of Navigation, the Ship Lift Technology Professional Committee of the China Institute of Navigation, and Wuhan Lidi Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd. More than 180 representatives from nearly 90 shipping management institutions, scientific research institutes, and enterprise units across the country attended the offline conference, while nearly 100 professional and technical personnel watched the online live broadcast, jointly discussing industry development trends and technological innovation directions. The conference invited leaders including Wang Jianbin, Deputy Director of the Yangtze River Navigation Administration of the Ministry of Transport, Liu Shun, Executive Secretary-General of the China Institute of Navigation, Li Shunli, Deputy Director of the Three Gorges Navigation Administration of the Yangtze River, and Deputy District Mayor of Dongxihu District, Wuhan, to attend. It also invited leaders from relevant branches and social organizations such as the Inland Shipping High-Quality Development Professional Committee of the China Institute of Navigation, the Waterway Branch of the China Water Transport Construction Association, the Inland Port Branch of the China Port Association, the Port and Waterway Professional Committee of the Chinese Hydraulic Engineering Society, and the Yangtze River Shipping Development Research Center to participate. The conference was hosted in sessions by Chairman Bao Wenquan and others.
At the opening ceremony, leaders including Wang Jianbin, Deputy Director of the Yangtze River Navigation Administration of the Ministry of Transport, Liu Shun, Executive Secretary-General of the China Institute of Navigation, Peng Bangming, Member of the Standing Committee of the Dongxihu District Committee and Deputy District Mayor of Wuhan, Cui Yuzhu, Chief Engineer of the Yangtze River Design Group, and Zhu Mingli, Chairman of Wuhan Lidi Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd., delivered speeches respectively. They emphasized the importance of ship locks and ship lifts as key nodes of inland river shipping, and pointed out that the independent innovation of electromechanical equipment technology and intelligent operation and maintenance are of strategic significance for promoting the high-quality development of water transport infrastructure.
During the two-day conference, a number of industry experts shared cutting-edge technologies and practical experience.
Qi Junlin from the Three Gorges Navigation Administration of the Yangtze River put forward ideas for promoting the integrated innovation of "lock-ship-water" and the construction of an intelligent navigation system; Liu Keqing from Wuhan Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. of China State Shipbuilding Corporation shared systematic methods and innovative practices for ship lift maintenance; Liu Jun from the Jiangsu Ship Lock Emergency Support Center of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal introduced Jiangsu's experience in system construction and intelligent management for the emergency support of ship lock electromechanical equipment; Zeng Guangjie from Chongqing Shuangjiang Shipping Development Co., Ltd. demonstrated an intelligent operation and maintenance platform for ship locks based on BIM+GIS and digital twin technology; Yan Ruopeng from the Yangtze River Design Group Co., Ltd. focused on the research of key technologies for the longitudinal tilt stability of ship lift cabins. Zhou Yisong from Wuhan Lidi Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd. exchanged a technical report titled "Innovative Applications Empower the New Development of Hydraulic Equipment".
In the special technical exchange session, various participating units delivered wonderful sharing sessions:
Qin Shihua from Guangxi Xijiang Development and Investment Group Co., Ltd. gave a detailed introduction to the design principles and technical advantages of the new anti-collision device; Qin Xiaofeng from Aotuo Technology Co., Ltd. demonstrated the application results of domestic PLC technology in major projects; Liu Yang from Nanjing Changmiao Technology Co., Ltd. introduced the technical path and application cases of the integrated security inspection system.
In addition to the above-mentioned experts, the symposium also featured a special report by President Bao Qifan, the renowned port-technology expert praised as the “King of Grabs,” also recipient of the Reform Pioneer Medal and winner of the People Who Touched China Award. He provided a profound elaboration on a problem-oriented innovation philosophy and methodology that focuses on the essence of on-site challenges rather than circuitous approaches. Sharing first-hand experience from grab R&D, container-service innovation and the utilization of Yangtze River estuary resources, he offered delegates profound inspiration.
After the sessions, participants traveled to Wuhan Lidi Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd. for a technical tour. They visited the production workshops, R&D test platforms and latest products, and experienced the newly released “Lidi MR Remote-Assistance Platform,” gaining an in-depth understanding of the company’s technological heritage and manufacturing capabilities.
The symposium successfully created a high-level academic exchange platform that pooled industry wisdom, focused on critical technical issues, and presented cutting-edge research findings and practical experience in ship-lock and ship-lift engineering, demonstrating the latest achievements and future directions of China’s electro-mechanical technology for these structures.
Ship Lock Professional Committee of China Institute of Navigation
September 16, 2025