November 18, 2025 — In order to help Taiwan’s shipping industry accurately grasp the global pulse and create a new situation in the future, the Port and Navigation Bureau of the Ministry of Communications held the “2025 Forward-looking Shipping Forum” today (18th) at the International Conference Center of the Ministry of Communications. With the theme of “Leading a New Era of Sustainability, Inclusiveness, and Smart Shipping”, this forum focuses on three key axes: net-zero sustainability, unmanned intelligence, and talent cultivation, and invites leaders and experts from industry, government, academia, and research circles related to domestic maritime transportation, attracting more than 200 participants to jointly draw a blueprint for the future of Taiwan’s shipping industry.
In his speech, Deputy Minister of Transportation Lin Guoxian said that in addition to sustainability and wisdom, the theme of this forum is “inclusion”, which means the common prosperity and “common good” of all sectors of maritime transportation, the “integration” of old fields and new technologies, and the “harmony” coexistence of the shipping field. According to the “2024 Greenhouse Gas Carbon Emissions Report” released by the United Nations, the transportation industry accounts for about 14% of global carbon emissions. Deputy Minister Lin also pointed out that aircraft and ships are limited by the inability to fully electrify, and in the future, they will have to face the cost of carbon credits required by various countries. Therefore, the Ministry of Transportation has asked port authorities and port companies to incorporate Europe’s new energy production, installation, and standardization procedures into the safety inspection regulations of ports and ships by the end of this year. Talent cultivation is an indispensable core element for enterprises, and through the equal emphasis on “old cadres and new branches”, new talents are discovered and existing talents are maintained. Deputy Minister Lin also emphasized that in the face of changes in the general environment, the topics of today’s forum can make us rethink the challenges that need to be faced in various fields, and also highlight the importance of this forum, which is worth continuing to hold every year, so that more people can understand the key position of maritime transportation in the world, which is not only important, but also “more important than imagined”, and hopes that everyone engaged in shipping can be proud of this, because of our existence, make a big difference.
In his speech, Cai Fengming, Chairman of the National Federation of Shipping Merchants Associations of the Republic of China, pointed out that shipping is an important mode of transportation for the global economy, and in recent years, it has faced challenges such as geopolitics, supply chain restructuring, and climate change. It also changes the thinking of maritime professionals, and calls on the shipping industry to actively invest in green shipping, digital, energy transformation and sustainable development, and looks forward to the Ministry of Transportation and the Port Authority leading the shipping industry to continue to sail towards a new era of orderly and inclusive and intelligent shipping, assisting the shipping industry to continue to operate and provide a more friendly and efficient operating environment.
In his speech, National Taiwan Ocean University President Hsu Tai-wen said that the theme of this forum is very relevant to the current trend of the times, echoing the development of climate change and AI technology, and emphasized that talent cultivation is the key to the development of shipping, and it is also the core mission of National Taiwan Ocean University since its founding 72 years ago. In the future, the school will continue to carry out industry-academia cooperation, combine policies, communicate with each other, and combine more advanced technologies to change and update teaching content and cultivate better talents.
In his welcome speech, Ye Xielong, Director of the Port Bureau, said that the Port Authority has been holding the “Forward-Looking Shipping Forum” since 108, with the aim of grasping the latest trends in global shipping with industry, government, academia and research. In addition, Director Yeh said that in recent years, with the joint efforts of all walks of life, Taiwan’s shipping industry has ushered in a rare prosperity in a century! According to the latest global shipping review report released by the United Nations in September this year (114), the total energy of the fleet of national shipping companies is as high as 6,388 deadweight tons, still ranking 8th in the world and playing a pivotal role in the world. However, there are still many variables, challenges, and opportunities in the overall international maritime environment, which require active responses from industry, government, academia, and research sectors to ensure that Taiwan’s maritime industry continues to maintain international competitiveness.
This year’s forum specially invited Xie Zhijian, former chairman of Evergreen Shipping Co., Ltd. and Yang Ming Shipping Co., Ltd., to give a keynote speech on the topic of “Global Container Shipping Market Trend Analysis”, providing an in-depth analysis of the latest trends and forward-looking insights in global shipping. The following three themed forums were hosted by Yang Ming Shipping Co., Ltd. Chairman Cai Fengming, Director of the Port Bureau Ye Xielong, and Director of the Transportation Research Institute Huang Xinxun, as moderators, and Cheng Zhiwen, CEO of the Ship Survey Center, Huang Chongrong, Deputy General Manager of Evergreen Shipping Co., Ltd., Wang Jinrong, General Manager of Taiwan Port Corporation, Bai Zongyuan, Manager of Evergreen Shipping Crew Training Center, Yu Kewei, Vice President of National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Lu Jinshan, Chairman of the China Shipping Society, Zhou Xianguang, CEO of the Ship and Marine Industry R&D Center, Lu Fangyi, General Manager of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, and Huang Jianhua, Chief Surveyor of the Ship Survey Center, jointly shared the latest pulse of international regulations, discussed the possibilities of future development, and engaged in real-time communication and interaction with the guests on three major themes: “Creating a Sustainable Future for the Shipping Industry”, “Accumulating Future Momentum for Maritime Talents”, and “Creating the Future of Intelligent Navigation for Independent Ships on the Surface”.
The Port Authority emphasized that it hopes that through this forum, Taiwan’s shipping industry can successfully transform, grow, and develop sustainably in the rapidly changing international maritime environment! And continue to maintain a leading position in global shipping, creating a brighter and better future for Taiwan’s shipping!
