The 2026 China Marine Economy Expo was held at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. Hong JIANG, University Council Chairperson of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), led a delegation to visit the exhibition area of SUSTech’s Advanced Institute for Ocean Research (AIOR)/Shenzhen Ocean University Preparatory Office.

Hong JIANG Inspects the Exhibition Center

Chairperson Hong JIANG stated that SUSTech bears the important mission of leading the establishment of Shenzhen Ocean University as a world-class, new-type research-oriented ocean university. SUSTech will continue to strengthen its research platforms, attract leading ocean talent, accelerate the advancement of the “Shenzhen Ocean University-Deep Ocean Research Center-Ocean Museum,” and further develop the “Deep Blue Voyager” global scientific expedition platform. The University will also deepen industry–academia–research integration and international ocean cooperation, supporting Shenzhen’s development as a national strategic hub for deep-sea science and technology and contributing to China’s development as a maritime power.

Prof. Jian LIN, Director of SUSTech’s AIOR and Head of the Shenzhen Ocean University Preparatory Office, provided a detailed introduction to the guiding vision, expedition achievements, and international cooperation plans of the decade-long “Deep Blue Voyager” global scientific expedition initiative. He highlighted the latest progress of the “Shenzhen Ocean University-Deep Ocean Research Center-Ocean Museum” project and explained the new research university’s distinctive ocean-focused mission.

At the China Marine Economy Expo, the pavilion of SUSTech’s AIOR/Shenzhen Ocean University in Preparation was designed in the shape of a research vessel and is divided into four main functional areas, showcasing progress in the university’s establishment and its research achievements. The pavilion presented research findings from multiple interdisciplinary teams at SUSTech.  It also featured the first public display of deep-sea specimens collected during the Western Pacific cruises of the decade-long “Deep Blue Voyager” initiative, giving visitors a tangible view of the teams’ deep-sea research capabilities.

SUSTech’s AIOR/Shenzhen Ocean University Preparatory Office also co-hosted the International Conference on Deep Sea Science and Technology and the 2026 Meeting of Deep Blue Voyager Global Exploration.

On-site at the International Deep-Sea Science and Technology Conference

As one of the two main forums of this year’s Marine Expo, the International Conference on Deep Sea Science and Technology was held under the guidance of the Shenzhen Municipal Marine Development Bureau and jointly hosted by SUSTech’s AIOR/Shenzhen Ocean University Preparatory Office and other organizations. 

The conference featured six major sessions covering deep-sea science, equipment technology, resource materials, international governance, and ecological protection. During the event, the “Report on Global Deep-Sea Activities (2026)” and the “Initiative on Deep-Sea Science and Technology Development and Governance in the AI Era” were officially released. The “Deep Blue Voyager” committee signed an ocean sample entrustment agreement with the AIOR/Shenzhen Ocean University Preparatory Office. Several platforms were also inaugurated, including the Deep-Sea Ocean Sample Library, Deep-Sea Intelligent Computing Center, and Marine Technology Transfer Center. 

Combining a conference with an exhibition, this year’s event provided a global platform for discussions on the frontiers of deep-sea science and technology while showcasing progress in establishing Shenzhen Ocean University and achievements in deep-sea research. SUSTech’s AIOR will continue to build broad consensus on deep-sea exploration, ecological protection, and sustainable resource use, supporting Shenzhen’s development as a global ocean hub and contributing to China’s development as a maritime power.