Anchor ourselves to the strategic goal of building a transportation powerhouse and strengthen the national team for waterborne transport research.

　　2026 is the first year of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan". The Water Transport Science Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport (referred to as the Ministry of Water Transport Institute) adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implements the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, earnestly implements the "three shifts" and "one network and four modernizations" requirements of the 2026 National Transportation Work Conference, anchors the strategic goal of accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country, fulfills the responsibilities of providing intellectual support for government decision-making and technical support for industry development, strengthens strategic leadership, innovation leadership, and standard leadership, and makes every effort to promote the high-quality development of water transport scientific research and build a strong national team for water transport scientific research.

　　Strengthen strategic leadership and build strategic scientific and technological strength in water transport

　　First, deepen the research on maritime strategic planning policies. Conduct in-depth maritime strategic research and complete high-quality special studies on strengthening the safety and resilience of maritime channels. Actively undertake research on high-quality development topics and special planning compilation for the Ministry of Transport. Support the formulation of policy documents such as the Intelligent Shipping 2030 Action Plan, focusing on improving the quality and efficiency of services for the Ministry.

　　Second, build a high-end think tank for the water transport industry. Focus on major national strategies and industry development needs to improve the quality and efficiency of advice and suggestions. Compile and release annual reports such as the Comprehensive Evaluation of World-Class Ports, the Development of Green Ports in China, and the Development of New Energy and Clean Energy Ships in China. Lead the establishment of a methanol and ammonia marine fuel supply chain alliance to support the construction of a green channel for Yangtze River shipping.

　　Third, make every effort to ensure the safety and smoothness of maritime transport. Research and establish an international maritime monitoring and analysis platform, strengthen monitoring of key material transportation and analysis of water transport economic operations, promote the construction of overseas hubs, and facilitate the construction of a diversified and resilient international transportation channel system. Carry out key technology breakthroughs in "national ships and national guidance", develop independently controllable port terminal electric control systems, solve key technical problems, and focus on enhancing the safety and resilience of water transport.

　　Strengthen innovation leadership and be a pioneer in water transport technological innovation

　　First, focus on tackling key core technologies. Around major projects such as intelligent integrated three-dimensional transportation and the digital and intelligent efficiency enhancement of the new Three Gorges water transport channel, apply for national-level scientific research projects, and promote the high-quality implementation of national key R&D projects such as complex sea condition observation. Promote the high-standard implementation of pilot tasks for the construction of a strong transportation country, such as the development and application of major risk prevention and control technologies for water transport safety and key technologies for port and ship pollution prevention and control, forming a batch of replicable and promotable scientific and technological achievements.

　　Second, carry out the "Artificial Intelligence + Water Transport" action in depth. Promote the construction of an intelligent shipping supervision system, smart port channels, and other pilot projects for the construction of a strong transportation country, develop smart port and intelligent ship equipment, promote the upgrade and transformation of intelligent container yards, and focus on promoting the construction of intelligent ships, smart channels, and smart ports. Expand and enrich application scenarios, with a focus on the intelligent body for safety supervision of the Three Gorges navigation model, and promote the creation of intelligent ship lock application scenarios; take coastal intelligent electric tugboats and autonomous navigation of inland cargo ships as entry points, and jointly implement the intelligent ship innovation demonstration project.

　　Third, create a technological innovation platform. Make good use of the Tianjin Offshore Oil Spill Emergency Disposal Experimental System and the Beijing Daxing Experimental Base to carry out technical research and experimental studies, enhancing experimental capabilities. Actively apply for and create key laboratories of the Ministry in areas such as ship-shore integrated intelligent navigation, port logistics equipment and intelligent control, container transportation intelligence, offshore oil spill emergency disposal, and ocean-going ship meteorological navigation. Strengthen the construction of an international scientific and technological cooperation base for waterway transportation pollution prevention and major accident emergency technology, and deepen international maritime technology exchange and cooperation.

　　Strengthen standard leadership and empower high-quality development of water transport

　　First, improve the water transport standard system. Utilize the role of the secretariats of the four professional standard committees for ports, containers, inland ships and waterway transportation, and boom cranes undertaken by the Ministry of Water Transport Institute, adhere to the development direction of intelligence, greenness, and integration, and systematically promote the improvement of the water transport standard system. Focus on safety, greenness, and intelligence, and strengthen the research and formulation of water transport standards. Implement the requirements of the "Transportation Standard Improvement Action Plan" and strengthen standard quality management.

　　Second, promote the internationalization of water transport standards. Utilize the platform role of the International Organization for Standardization's Ship and Marine Technology Committee's Port and Terminal Subcommittee (ISO/TC8/SC27) to promote the research and formulation of international standards for ports and terminals led by China, deepen global port standardization cooperation, and build an authoritative, credible, efficient, and professional international standardization cooperation platform. Support the "going out" of water transport engineering construction standards as a special pilot for a strong transportation country. Research and prepare for the establishment of an international standard technical organization for container transportation.

　　Third, deepen the implementation of standards. Accelerate the construction of standard verification points for intelligent container transportation systems, and deepen the national standardization pilot for intelligent shipping. Focus on the formulation of standards such as the charging operation procedures for electric ships and the remote operation procedures for automated dry bulk terminals, and promote the release of a series of national standards such as the Beidou short message information service system. Accelerate the iteration and upgrade of standards, strengthen standard implementation, and stimulate the effectiveness of standard implementation.

　　The wind is favorable for setting sail, striving forward to the future. The Ministry of Water Transport Institute will, with a more vigorous spirit and a more pragmatic style, tackle difficulties, forge ahead, and be a good national team for water transport scientific research, ensuring a good start and a good step for the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan", and make new and greater contributions to accelerating the construction of a strong transportation country and being a pioneer in China's modernization.