With the goal of building a strong transportation nation and contributing to a strong start to the 14th Five-Year Plan, the 20th China Intelligent Transportation Conference opened grandly on November 19, 2025, at the Haikou Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center. At the awards ceremony, the project "Key Technologies and Applications of an End-Cloud Integrated Intelligent Navigation System for Inland Vessels" — led by Highlander in collaboration with the Water Transport Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, Wuhan University of Technology, Harbin Engineering University, the China Ship Scientific Research Center (CSSRC, Institute 702), China Classification Society (CCS), Yangtze River Shipping Group, Yangtze River Communications Administration, Chengdu Tianao Information Technology, and other industry partners — was awarded the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress, ranking first among all recipients, demonstrating top-tier technical capabilities in the industry.

The China Intelligent Transportation Association Science and Technology Award is the highest honor in the intelligent transportation sector, established with approval from the National Science and Technology Awards Office. Over 14 years of development, it has become an authoritative benchmark for scientific and technological innovation in the field of intelligent transportation.

The award-winning project is an exemplary model of deep integration between industry, academia, research, and application. Through collaborative efforts with the Water Transport Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, Wuhan University of Technology, and other institutions, the project directly addressed the demands of high-quality inland shipping development and achieved breakthroughs across multiple critical technologies and bottleneck challenges — including multi-source fusion perception for vessel navigation in low-visibility conditions, inland waterway wireless communications, multi-constraint decision-making and coordinated control of vessel speed and track in narrow inland waterways, and the integration of intelligent navigation and traffic management — pressing the "accelerator" on high-quality inland waterway development.

01 Innovation Highlights

02 Innovative Equipment

As the core driving force of the project, Highlander drew on its deep technical expertise in radar, electronic chart display, intelligent steering, and other domains to build a highly reliable, low-latency end-cloud integrated intelligent navigation system. On the vessel side, multi-functional intelligent equipment — including shipborne intelligent solid-state navigation radar, high-sensitivity vision systems, and an integrated navigation terminal with BeiDou/5G hybrid positioning — enables precise perception. On the shore side, data service systems handle shipping support and traffic flow management, while the innovative application of VDES ship-to-shore communication technology developed by partner organizations makes inland vessel navigation safer and more efficient. The system has essentially established the conditions for autonomous navigation in inland waterway environments.

To date, the relevant achievements have been scaled up and deployed on more than one hundred vessels operated by Yangtze River Shipping Group and other operators, with real-world application results validating the technology's industrial value.

This honor represents the industry's high recognition of Highlander's sustained commitment to the field of intelligent shipping. It is also the fruit of years of dedication and collaborative innovation by Highlander's maritime R&D team, and an affirmation and endorsement of Highlander's development strategy of layering intelligent capabilities on top of its independently developed regulatory-compliant products.

This award is a tremendous source of inspiration for Highlander's R&D team and a powerful driver of continued innovation. Looking ahead, Highlander will stay true to its founding commitment to technology leadership, deepen its R&D investment in intelligent shipping, marine technology, and related fields, and drive the conversion of more scientific and technological achievements into practical applications. Hand in hand with peers across the industry, Highlander will contribute its own strength to building a safe, efficient, green, and smart modern waterway transportation system, and serve as a steadfast force safeguarding the bright opening and long-term development of China's intelligent transportation sector throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period.