The Shanghai Ship & Shipping Research Institute (SSSRI) and China Ship Design and Research Centre (CSDC) have agreed to collaborate on advancing shipping technology in China.

CSDC, subsidiary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corp (CSIC), said that the partnership would focus on research and development in shipping and offshore marine engineering, as well as systems integration business.

The cooperation will see the two sides carry out initiatives on developing ship designs, perform vessel optimisation tests, exchange technical information, staff network, and promotion of their development outcome to the market.

The cooperation is also expected to help sharpen the technological edge and innovation of Chinese shipyards in the production of the more complex OSVs, where they are known to lag behind European yards in terms of specifications and finishings.