On December 4, during the China International Maritime Technical Conference and Exhibition, the 82,000-ton bulk carrier, 'CS JINAN,' outfitted with an autonomous navigation system pioneered by the 704th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, achieved a landmark feat. It secured China's inaugural—and indeed, the world's first—autonomous navigation certification within the bulk carrier domain, a testament granted by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). This certification underscores that the 'CS JINAN' has attained globally recognized benchmarks in pivotal areas such as reliability, safety, and intelligence, positioning it as the inaugural large-scale ocean-going bulk carrier capable of autonomous navigation in open waters on a global scale.

The certification encompasses a spectrum of pivotal technologies, including integrated perception, collision avoidance decision-making, underactuated control, as well as the validation of autonomous navigation capabilities under human oversight. Looking ahead, the 704th Research Institute is poised to intensify its research and development endeavors in ship digitization, intelligence, and unmanned technology. The institute aims to extend its technological reach across a diverse array of vessel types, encompassing liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and oil tankers, and to a multitude of operational scenarios. This strategic move is designed to catalyze the widespread adoption of intelligent shipping technologies.