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In collaboration with Danish Maritime, DCBF is undertaking a new project that analyses China’s maritime industrial development under the 15th Five-Year Plan and examines how it might influence Denmark’s maritime industry. Drawing on analysis, interviews and sector dialogue, the project will assess emerging opportunities, competitive pressures, geopolitical considerations and market-access challenges. The project will provide Danish companies, authorities and industry organisations with strategic, business-oriented insights to support investment decisions, strengthen competitiveness and inform engagement with Chinese counterparts. The project runs from Augst 2026 to February 2027 and is funded by the Danish Maritime Foundation.
Background
China’s share of global shipbuilding has increased in recent years, and in 2025 Chinese shipyards accounted for just under 70% of the world’s newly built ocean-going vessels.
Compared with those of other countries, Denmark’s maritime industry has a strong position in China, with several companies well integrated into Chinese value chains. However, Beijing has also prioritised the development of China’s own capabilities in ‘marine equipment’ and ‘shipbuilding’ since the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020) and the 2015 ‘Made in China 2025’ strategy. This focus was reaffirmed in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), and the further development of China’s maritime capabilities again features prominently in the recently adopted 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030).
The key questions are therefore to what extent, and in what ways, Chinese shipyards and suppliers will shape the global maritime industry in the coming years; what implications China’s maritime development will have for geopolitical tensions; and how it will affect the competitive position of Danish companies in China. This must also be considered in the context of the EU’s still unresolved approach to Chinese overcapacity and the potential consequences of the EU’s own maritime industrial policy. These issues are important for both business and political perspectives as well as for the implementation of the recommendations in the 2025 growth plan for Blue Denmark. In particular, this project addresses the plan’s recommendations concerning exports and global cooperation, including market access in China, competition from Chinese suppliers and potential models for cooperation with Chinese partners and competitors.
The Project
The project comprises analyses, interviews, focus-group meetings and coordination across the sector.
Expected Outcomes
The project will provide business-oriented and actionable insights into China’s maritime industry in light of the priorities set out in the 15th Five-Year Plan. It will thereby strengthen the basis for Danish companies’ decisions on future investments in China, helping them maintain and enhance their position.
In addition, the project will provide a clearer understanding of the opportunities and constraints within China’s maritime industry in the context of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This will give Danish authorities and industry associations a stronger basis for dialogue with their Chinese counterparts, with a view to securing market access and reducing potential trade barriers.
The findings will be presented in a joint report by DCBF and Danish Maritime, as well as in two DCBF/Danish Maritime Briefs summarising the report’s conclusions. The findings will be communicated through channels such as webinars and seminars, podcasts and LinkedIn.
Reach out!
If you are interested in the topic or work in the maritime industry and are curious about the project please reach out to:
Martin Bech, PhD, Deputy Secretary General, DCBF (mb@dcbf.dk / +45 3024 9959).
