Building Underwater Perception Networks: Namin Tech at the 10th Maritime Silk Road Port Forum
From May 26 to 28, the 10th Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum 2026 was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang. Over a thousand guests from more than 70 countries and regions gathered at the shores of Dongqian Lake, injecting fresh momentum into the sustainable development of the global port and shipping industry. Gui Lihua, Chairman of Namin Tech, delivered a keynote speech titled "Sonar Empowering Digital Port Operations and Intelligent Underwater Perception," sharing in-depth insights into the innovative applications and practical achievements of domestically developed sonar technology in port scenarios.
Empowering Digital Operations for Smart Ports
The global port and shipping industry is accelerating its transition toward digitalization, intelligence, and greening. Ports, as critical hubs along the "Maritime Silk Road," face core industry challenges in underwater infrastructure safety, navigation efficiency improvement, and intelligent perception system development. Chairman Gui Lihua pointed out that port waters are inherently complex and dynamic, with pain points including passive security blind spots, inefficient channel management, costly manual inspections, and reactive structural maintenance — all of which fall short of the demands of modern smart port construction. Sonar systems serve as the "clairvoyant" of the underwater world, capable of building comprehensive, multi-dimensional intelligent underwater perception networks, making them the core technological backbone of digital port operations.
Demonstrating Sonar Technology and Industrial Value
The keynote showcased practical deployments of sonar technology in core port scenarios, demonstrating the hard-core capabilities and industrial value of domestically developed sonar systems. In the field of port infrastructure maintenance, Namin Tech's self-developed C750D dual-frequency imaging sonar series enables imaging inspection of wharf piles, caissons, and fenders, accurately identifying hazards such as cracks, corrosion, and scour — improving inspection efficiency by 3–5 times compared to traditional methods, with large-scale deployment already completed across multiple ports.
In underwater security and ecological monitoring scenarios, sonar systems can provide 24/7 real-time monitoring of illegal intrusions, abnormal anchoring, and other incidents within port waters, triggering intelligent early-warning platforms for rapid response. They also monitor ecological indicators such as underwater biodiversity and water turbidity, supporting green port development.
At the smart port collaborative operations level, Namin Tech's sonar devices can be deeply integrated with port smart logistics cloud platforms and automated terminal systems, breaking down data silos between underwater perception data and terminal scheduling, vessel management, and safety oversight — enabling seamless data interoperability and coordinated operations across "surface, underwater, and shore-based" domains.
Deepening Intelligent Underwater Perception
As a high-tech enterprise with over a decade of dedication to intelligent underwater perception, Namin Tech has consistently pursued independent R&D and technological innovation, mastering key core technologies including dual-frequency simultaneous display, deep-sea high-pressure adaptation, and AI-powered intelligent recognition. Its sonar technology has expanded from port scenarios into marine ranching, water conservancy, emergency rescue, and deep-sea engineering, driving domestically developed sonar from technological breakthroughs to large-scale industrial deployment.
Looking ahead, Namin Tech will leverage the Maritime Silk Road Port Forum as a platform to continue deepening sonar technology innovation and optimizing port-specific solutions, advancing domestically developed underwater intelligent perception technologies and products toward global markets, and helping ports along the Maritime Silk Road build a new ecosystem that is "safe, efficient, green, and intelligent."