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China's offshore engineering success offers lessons for the Global South

China has been the world's largest player in offshore engineering equipment for eight consecutive years, controlling over half of the global market. This dominance stems from decades of investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, and technological capabilities. For countries in Africa and the Global South, China's experience offers valuable lessons. China's success is attributed to three main pillars: scale, with vast shipyards operating on mass-production models; integration, where Chinese companies control much of the value chain from raw materials to final assembly; and gradual technological upgrading, adapting foreign expertise and developing its own innovations, such as the Three Gorges Navigator floating offshore wind platform. This industrial rise is also supported by long-term planning, with marine equipment designated as a strategic industry. Beyond offshore engineering, China's Belt and Road Initiative has financed infrastructure projects across Africa. The Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria, built with Chinese backing, exemplifies how such projects can improve market access. However, infrastructure alone does not guarantee industrialization. African governments need to negotiate agreements that prioritize technology transfer, local participation, and workforce development. Linking ports to industrial zones and transport networks is crucial for value addition, rather than just facilitating raw commodity exports. Investment in people, through technical training initiati