The Gaolan Port Economic Zone has earmarked an additional 240,000 sq-m construction area for Pingsha Yacht Industrial Park, where the output value of the yacht industry is expected to hit 1.6 billion yuan ($241 million) this year. This is up by 30 percent year-on-year compared to a projected 7 percent rise for the industry internationally.

In 2016, output value increased by 11.5 percent to 1.25 billion yuan ($188 million), according to statistics released by the Gaolan Port Economic Zone.

The industrial park, which is home to 57 yacht enterprises, is the oldest, largest, and highest-grade yacht manufacturing base in China. There are 24 yacht manufacturers and 33 support and related trading companies on site.

In addition to Zhuhai Sunbird Yacht Manufacturing Co Ltd and Jianglong Shipbuilding Co Ltd -- the two largest enterprises in the industrial park -- small and medium-sized enterprises also show strong momentum. According to an executive at Jet-Tern Marine Co, for instance, the company’s turnover in the first five months of this year had already surpassed annual turnover for 2016.

Yacht at Pingsha [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

Part of the growth is tied to improved support facilities and increased brand awareness of the local yacht industry. It also helps that Pingsha was designated Guangdong (Yacht) Technological Innovation Professional Town in 2008. 

Meanwhile, technological innovations have been instituted by the Zhuhai Yacht & Marine Engine Test Center, Guangdong Province Quality Supervision Yacht Material Testing Station, and National Quality Supervising Test Center for Materials of Ship & Marine Engineering Equipment. The latter is positioned as a world-class test lab for materials of ship and marine engineering equipment.

Furthermore, Pingsha has partnered with the Standardization Administration of Zhuhai, Zhuhai Municipal Administration of Quality & Technology Supervision, and South China University of Technology to establish a yacht-related technology standardization alliance. This promotes standardization in the yacht industry and brings it to higher level, a local government official declared.