RINA's marine service Photo: Courtesy of RINA

From the Lantern, the symbol of Genoa, Italy, to the East, RINA continues to export skills and vision. The Genoa-based group, which started as a ship classification society and is now a global player in engineering, certification, and consulting, has built a solid and multi-level presence in China, which has become one of the key platforms of its international strategy over the years.

The Chinese market is seen by RINA's management as a strategic ground not only for commercial expansion, but also for building deeply rooted relationships in the local context. "Our strategy in China is based on people, innovation, and the Italian system," emphasized Simone Manca, vice president for the North Asia region of RINA, speaking at the Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum held in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province in May 2025.

Manca recalled how the group's presence in the country began in 1997, at a time when the main activity was still related to ship classification, with few inspectors and specialized technicians. Today, this reality has evolved significantly: In the maritime division alone, over 200 resources operate, 99 percent of which are local, while RINA oversees dozens of shipbuilding projects throughout China.

The executive also highlighted China's role in the transformation of the global shipbuilding industry. 

"The country supplies about 65-70 percent of global orders and builds every type of ship with constantly improving quality," Manca noted, emphasizing that the collaboration between international expertise and the Chinese production context is now stronger than ever.

In this scenario, RINA does not limit itself to traditional services of inspection, classification, and certification: The company expands its offering with engineering consulting, sustainability solutions, digitalization, and complex infrastructure projects. 

In a vast and competitive market such as China, the ability to adapt international standards to local needs has become a distinctive competence.

Shanghai remains the operational heart of many activities, a natural hub for international business and a bridge between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, but the group's network also extends to Beijing and other strategic cities where dialogue with institutions, regulatory bodies, and large industrial groups is essential to anticipate market trajectories.

An increasingly central chapter is that of energy transition and sustainability. In China, RINA is involved in projects related to renewables, energy efficiency, and decarbonization, leveraging engineering skills and regulatory know-how developed internationally.

RINA's strength in China also lies in the human factor: Local teams supported by international experts, a pragmatic cultural approach, and the ability to "translate" global standards into operational solutions in the Chinese context. 

In a world that is increasingly looking to the East, RINA demonstrates that Italian engineering can speak Mandarin without losing its accent - and that from Genoa, Italy to China, the route of innovation once again passes through the sea. With revenues projected to reach 915 million euros ($1.67 billion) in 2024, over 6,200 employees, and 200 offices in 70 countries worldwide, RINA participates in major international organizations, always contributing to the development of new regulatory standards.

Here are some concrete examples of projects followed or certified by RINA in China that illustrate the dual dimensions of commitment: On the one hand, the traditional activity of supervision and technical control in shipyards, and on the other hand, the ability to integrate international standards of sustainability and safety into highly relevant industrial projects.

Supervision 

With the Jinling Shipyard, one of the main Chinese state-owned shipyards, RINA China has signed a contract for the technical supervision of the construction of 12 Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) vessels, including nine large units and three smaller ones, designed for international commercial use. 

In this type of activity, RINA provides both regulatory and quality control of the work in the shipyard, as well as monitoring the construction processes, ensuring that the ships meet globally recognized safety, performance, and environmental performance criteria.

Certification in China 

RINA has been called to classify and certify the largest cruise ship ever built in China, a vessel approximately 341 meters long and 140,000 gross tons, with a capacity for over 6,500 people on board. 

RINA's role goes beyond simple technical classification: The company has applied advanced class notations such as Green Plus (for enhanced environmental performance) and High Voltage Shore Connection, in addition to the Biosafe Ship notation, which introduces health control criteria on board to prevent disease outbreaks.

Green methanol project 

RINA is involved as a technical-consulting partner in a large clean energy project in Northeast China's Jilin Province. 

The company has signed a framework agreement to collaborate on the development of the "Yushu Green Methanol" project, an industrial initiative worth nearly $3 billion dedicated to the production of green methanol - a low-emission energy carrier derived from biomass and hydrogen produced from renewable sources. In this context, RINA provides technical consulting, feasibility studies, and engineering support in the preliminary and conceptual configuration phases, helping to shape an industrial solution that combines clean energy, carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture, and high-efficiency synthesis processes.