AJX002, an ultra-large unmanned underwater vehicle, makes its debut, featuring a low-noise design suitable for operations in multiple scenarios.

Subsea Expo 2026 is scheduled for February, focusing on underwater innovation and the integration of the blue economy.

On February 4–5, 2026, the Subsea Expo in the United Kingdom will be held in Aberdeen under the theme “The Next Wave.” For the first time, a dedicated customer‑matching session will be introduced, drawing participation from industry giants such as BP and CNOOC. The event will showcase cutting-edge technologies—including underwater robots and deep-sea sensors—while fostering synergies between the subsea sector and the blue economy, providing a platform for technological exchange and business collaboration.

Yunzhou Intelligence’s V35A unmanned surface vessel helped ensure the successful sea trials of the “Haiwei” system, marking an intelligent upgrade to deep-water pipeline monitoring.

In early January 2026, China’s domestically developed “Haiwei” intelligent monitoring system for deep-water pipeline installation successfully completed its sea trials. Deployed aboard the Yunzhou Intelligence V35A unmanned surface vessel, the system integrates an underwater autonomous robot and an optical communication relay, achieving a 95% accuracy rate in identifying pipeline‑to‑sediment contact points. This breakthrough addresses the challenge of real-time monitoring during deep-water pipeline installation, advancing the unmanned and intelligent development of offshore oil and gas infrastructure.

Saipem has secured a $600 million subsea engineering contract from Saudi Aramco, strengthening its position in the Middle East market.

On December 30, 2025, Italian underwater engineering giant Saipem signed two long-term contracts with Saudi Aramco, totaling approximately USD 600 million and spanning 32 months. The agreements cover engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) services for subsea facilities, further reinforcing Saipem’s leading position in deepwater oil and gas development in the Middle East and accelerating the consolidation of the global subsea engineering services market.

Dawson Drilling has obtained a patent for a new type of subsea hydraulic valve, enhancing the safety of deepwater oil and gas development.

On January 6, 2026, Suzhou Dawson Drilling and Production Equipment Co., Ltd. was granted a patent for its “New-Type Subsea Hydraulic Valve” (CN223768143U). This valve features an anti‑sand sealing design, is compatible with deep‑sea high‑pressure conditions, and helps reduce the risks of valve jamming and leakage in oil and gas production, thereby providing more reliable safety assurance for subsea production systems and advancing the domestic upgrading of offshore oil and gas equipment.

China’s domestically built deep-sea construction vessel, the “Tianyi Linghangzhe,” has officially been launched, overcoming the challenges of laying submarine cables in deep waters.

On January 6, 2026, China’s first domestically built deep-sea cable‑laying vessel, the “Tianyi Linghangzhe,” was launched in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province. With a displacement of 18,000 tons and a capacity to carry 8,000 tons of submarine optical fiber cable, the ship is capable of high‑precision operations in sea state 5. Its core dynamic positioning and cable‑laying systems are 100% domestically developed, enabling efficient installation of kilometer‑scale deep‑sea optical cables, breaking foreign technology monopolies and supporting the global development of communication and energy‑interconnection networks.

Nexans has set new national and regional records for the installation depth of submarine cables, with 500kV HVDC technology enabling deep-sea energy interconnection.

On December 30, 2025, Nexans Europe laid a 500 kV high-voltage direct-current submarine cable to a depth of 2,150 meters as part of the Tyrrhenian Link project, setting new depth records for similar projects in multiple countries and regions. This technology reduces transmission losses over long underwater distances, providing critical support for cross‑border wind‑power grid integration in the Mediterranean region and accelerating the development of deep‑sea energy interconnection networks across numerous nations and territories.

China’s underwater archaeology has entered an era of coordinated manned–unmanned operations, doubling the efficiency of deep-sea cultural heritage exploration.

In December 2025, the manned submersible “Deep Sea Warrior” completed 18 archaeological dives on the northwestern continental slope of the South China Sea, conducting, for the first time, a joint underwater‑robotic survey of a shipwreck. This enabled a seamless operational workflow of “human‑controlled sampling plus unmanned mapping,” providing technical support for deep-sea cultural heritage preservation and advancing underwater archaeology from “manual exploration” to “intelligent collaboration.”

T12 Engineering has secured an order from a European country to deliver a 60-ton-class subsea modular structure for a deepwater oil and gas project.

On January 5, 2026, the European engineering firm T12 Engineering signed a contract with a European oil and gas operator to design and manufacture a 60‑ton class subsea modular structure for a deepwater project in the North Sea. The structure is constructed from lightweight, corrosion‑resistant materials, optimized for operations at water depths of 1,500 meters, and can integrate sensors and control units to support the modular installation and maintenance of subsea production systems. Delivery is scheduled for Q3 2026.