LISBON, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The CAE-PAE Forum on Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering was held here on Wednesday, bringing together experts and scholars from the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the Portuguese Academy of Engineering (PAE) and the marine sector to discuss China-Portugal cooperation in marine technology and ocean engineering.
The forum featured discussions on marine engineering, maritime transport, shipbuilding and port engineering, with a focus on technological innovation in marine engineering and the sustainable use of marine resources.
Participants exchanged views on technological development and cooperation prospects in areas including marine engineering equipment, intelligent shipping, green ships, smart ports and marine renewable energy.
Experts and scholars from the two countries shared research findings and practical experience and explored ways to strengthen joint research and the commercialization of technological achievements.
During the forum, the CAE and the PAE also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation, marking a new stage of institutionalized cooperation between the two academies.
Sebastiao de Azevedo, president of the PAE, said the signing of the memorandum marked an important milestone in the China-Portugal cooperation in science, technology and engineering. It will further promote long-term cooperation between the two leading academic institutions, facilitate exchanges among researchers, experts and industry, and inject new impetus into China-Portugal cooperation in marine technology.
Chen Jianfeng, vice president of the CAE, said China and Portugal have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in marine science and technology, the blue economy and marine governance.
He called on the two sides to focus on frontier areas such as marine engineering, intelligent shipping and green ships, strengthen joint research and the commercialization of technological achievements, and promote high-quality development of the maritime economies of both countries.
He also called for greater cooperation on global issues including marine ecological conservation and the blue economy, to contribute China-Portugal expertise and solutions to global marine sustainable development.
Yang Yirui, Chinese ambassador to Portugal, said in a video address that Portugal was the first Western European country to sign a memorandum of understanding with China on jointly building the Belt and Road and the first EU member to officially establish a Blue Partnership with China.
Over the years, China and Portugal have continuously deepened cooperation in the maritime field, jointly establishing a number of high-level research platforms and achieving numerous practical results. Marine cooperation has become an important part of bilateral cooperation, Yang said.
He noted that the forum brought together leading academicians and experts in marine engineering as well as industry leaders, and would give a strong boost to the cooperation between the two sides in the maritime sector.
He expressed hope that the two sides would take the event as an opportunity to continue building high-level platforms for exchanges and inject fresh impetus into the China-Portugal Blue Partnership.
Carlos Guedes Soares, winner of China's International Science and Technology Cooperation Award in 2025 and an academician of the PAE, said he has been involved in China-Portugal cooperation in the maritime field for more than three decades and has witnessed mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Both China and Portugal attach great importance to the development of the maritime sector and related technologies, he said, adding that the forum provided an important opportunity for the two leading academic institutions to strengthen their links and launch bilateral cooperation.
He expressed hope that the event would help Chinese experts gain a better understanding of Portugal's research and industrial resources in the maritime field, and promote exchanges and cooperation in traditional maritime transport, the blue economy, marine resource development and renewable energy, laying a foundation for further cooperation and development. ■