The Nearshore and Offshore Infrastructure Construction Center of Nantong Ocean Advanced Research Institute, Southeast University is a core scientific research and industrial service platform established to thoroughly implement the national strategy of building a strong maritime country and focus on key fields of marine technology and engineering. Relying on the interdisciplinary advantages and engineering heritage of Southeast University’s Double First-Class disciplines, and combining Nantong’s unique geographical location—bordering both rivers and seas, connecting the south and the north—and its industrial foundation, the Center takes 'devoting to core technologies of marine engineering and serving national marine strategic demands' as its core positioning. It is committed to becoming an important platform for breakthroughs in core technologies, transformation of key technologies and gathering of high-end talents in the field of marine engineering.

The Center has built a research system covering the entire industrial chain of marine engineering, focusing on six core research fields: marine engineering structures, new marine engineering materials, marine geotechnics, marine new energy infrastructure, marine intelligent monitoring, and marine environmental protection. It prioritizes breakthroughs in key technologies such as floating tunnels, vibration control of offshore wind turbines, offshore deep foundation pile engineering, and compound disaster simulation, driving the transformation of scientific research achievements from laboratories to engineering sites, and providing solid technical support for China’s deep-sea development and upgrading of marine engineering equipment.

In terms of talent team, the Center is led by Professor Guo Tong, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, and brings together nearly 30 backbones from Southeast University. The team includes national-level high-level talents such as National Outstanding Youth Fund recipients, Leading Talents of the National Ten-Thousand Talents Program, Young Changjiang Scholars, and National Excellent Youth Fund (Overseas) recipients, with more than 10 members holding senior professional titles. Featuring a diversified title structure and a complete professional echelon, the team provides strong talent support for scientific research and platform construction.

The Center has achieved fruitful results in platform and facility development. It is building core test bases including the multi-hazard coupling experimental platform for wind, wave and current, equipped with advanced test facilities such as towing tanks, wave/current/wind generation systems, ultra-long-distance monitoring photoelectric turntables, non-destructive intelligent inspection equipment, and multi-beam unmanned survey vessels. These facilities enable the simulation of complex marine disaster environments and full-scenario test verification of marine engineering. Meanwhile, it has deployed platforms including the pilot test base for marine hydrogen energy, the Excellent Engineer Center for Construction and Operation of Marine Energy Engineering, and the Industrial Innovation Consortium for Construction and Operation of Marine Engineering Structures, forming a complete scientific research ecosystem of 'theory – simulation – experiment – industrial transformation'.

In scientific research, the Center undertakes key national projects such as 'Construction of Wind-Wave-Current Tank + Comprehensive Laboratory' and the pilot program for disciplinary breakthroughs of the Ministry of Education 'Core Theories and Key Technologies for Infrastructure Construction in Polar Environments', promoting interdisciplinary integration and technological innovation.

In industrial services, cooperation and exchanges, the Center is deeply integrated into the integrated innovation system of industry-university-research-application. It collaborates with enterprises, universities and research institutions across the marine engineering industrial chain to provide test verification, technology R&D, third-party testing and certification, as well as technical training and open resource sharing for local shipbuilding and marine engineering enterprises. Relying on platforms such as the 1st China Postgraduate Intelligent Construction Innovation Competition, it deepens university-local and university-enterprise collaboration, promoting the sharing of innovative resources and the implementation of cooperative projects.

With the important goal of helping Nantong build an internationally influential demonstration city for marine industry, the Center continues to strengthen its scientific and technological innovation capacity and regional synergy. It makes all-round efforts in technology R&D, achievement transformation and talent training, contributing significantly to China’s endeavor to build a strong maritime country and the high-quality development of the marine economy.

Figure1 Layout of the Wind-Wave-Current Multi-Hazard Coupling Experimental Platform

Figure2 Representative Products of the Hydrogen Energy Pilot Test Base (Partial)

Figure3 Ultra-Long-Distance Monitoring Photoelectric Turntable

Figure4  Non-Destructive Intelligent Inspection Equipment

Figure5 Multi-Beam Unmanned Survey Vessel