On March 24-26, Nanjing welcomed the annual grand event in the field of deep foundation and underground space engineering — the 14th Deep Foundation Engineering Development Forum. Jointly hosted by the Deep Foundation and Underground Space Engineering Branch of the China Construction Industry Association, the Piling Machinery Branch of the Chinese Construction Machinery Society, the China Foundation Technology Innovation Intellectual Property Alliance, and the State Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Environment, the forum, themed "Innovative Intelligence, Low-Carbon Digitalization," attracted nearly 500 attendees including academicians, experts, scholars, and enterprise representatives, who gathered to deeply explore pathways for developing new quality productive forces in the industry and to explore development directions of "new manufacturing, new services, and new business forms."

    The opening ceremony was held in a solemn and enthusiastic atmosphere, presided over by Wu Fumei, Secretary-General of the Deep Foundation and Underground Space Engineering Branch of the China Construction Industry Association. The lineup of guests attending the opening ceremony was impressive, including Academicians Gong Xiaonan and Chen Xiangsheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, National Engineering Survey Master Wang Weidong, Zhang Jinxun, President of the Deep Foundation and Underground Space Engineering Branch of the China Construction Industry Association, Gao Wensheng, Chairman of the China Foundation Technology Innovation Intellectual Property Alliance, Liu Yuanhong, Chairman, and Guo Chuanxin, Secretary-General, of the Piling Machinery Branch of the Chinese Construction Machinery Society, Guo Tong, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering at Southeast University, Professor Liu Songyu of Southeast University, Professor Gong Weiming of Southeast University, Sun Jinshan, General Manager of Beijing Jinshan Foundation Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhou Tonghe, Professor-level Senior Engineer of Zhengzhou University, Cao Xueping, General Manager of Jiangsu Tongzhou Foundation Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., and others.

    Zhang Jinxun, President of the Deep Foundation and Underground Space Engineering Branch of the China Construction Industry Association, Gao Wensheng, Chairman of the China Foundation Technology Innovation Intellectual Property Alliance, Liu Yuanhong, Chairman of the Piling Machinery Branch of the Chinese Construction Machinery Society, and Guo Tong, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering at Southeast University, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony respectively. From perspectives of industry strategic height, technological innovation trends, and industry-academia-research integration, they analyzed the important position and development opportunities of the deep foundation engineering industry amid the tide of the times, setting a high starting point and high standard tone for the forum and laying a solid foundation for subsequent exchanges and discussions.

    The forum was carefully planned, arranging 7 industry development reports, 16 conference keynote reports, and 34 breakout session discussions. The topics closely centered on industry frontier hotspots such as intelligent equipment R&D, resilient design of underground space, and low-carbon construction technology. The "High-End Forum on Multi-Dimensional Innovation and Industrial Ecosystem Upgrading of Deep-Water Foundations," chaired by Professor Gong Weiming of Southeast University, became the focus. Experts conducted in-depth discussions on key areas such as offshore wind power and deep-water bridge foundations, addressing issues including innovative design and efficient construction technology and the coordinated development of foundation engineering and marine ecology, providing highly forward-looking ideas for industry development.

    The conference collected 55 high-quality academic papers, covering five major sections including deep excavation engineering, geotechnical engineering materials, and engineering testing technology, forming a complete knowledge chain from technology R&D to engineering practice and then to standards innovation. Among them, several excellent papers such as "Research on the Size Effect of Large-Diameter Monopiles for Offshore Wind Turbines" closely combined with the actual needs of the industry, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for solving engineering challenges.

    Upholding the philosophy of "Let every outstanding foundation project be remembered by the world," the Foundation Engineering Network, together with industry experts, conducted rigorous reviews and announced the 2024 "Golden Foundation Award" during the conference. Four projects, including the "Pile Foundation Project of Taihua Future City in Hengshui City" submitted by Jingkun Geotechnical (Hebei) Technology Co., Ltd., received the honor. These award-winning projects represent the outstanding standards of the industry and inspire more enterprises to pursue excellence in engineering quality and innovation.

    The assistance of new media added contemporary features to the forum. During the conference, industry influencers actively participated in promotion, and the Foundation Academy - Lao Zhu Lecture Hall column invited experts to conduct multiple live-streamed salons, breaking through the limitations of traditional academic exchanges, enabling more people to learn about the forum content, broadening channels for disseminating industry knowledge, and greatly enhancing the forum's influence.

    At the closing ceremony, Secretary-General Wu Fumei read out the "Nanjing Consensus of the Deep Foundation Engineering Development Forum," pointing out three core directions for the industry's future development: first, coordinated development, promoting the upgrading of the entire industry chain of onshore and offshore deep foundation engineering and facilitating coordinated innovation in theory, technology, and equipment; second, intelligent construction, building new business forms of intelligent construction to empower full life-cycle project management; third, resilience and safety, strengthening engineering safety technology in complex environments and developing emergency maintenance and urban renewal technology systems for underground engineering.

    During the flag handover ceremony, Professor Gong Weiming of Southeast University, representative of the current host, together with Cao Xueping, General Manager of Jiangsu Tongzhou Foundation Engineering Co., Ltd., and Sun Jinshan, General Manager of Beijing Jinshan Foundation Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., handed the forum flag over to the organizer of the 15th forum, the Piling Industry Alliance (Zhuanggong Luyinghui). Professor Gong Weiming stated: "What the flag passes on is the continuation of the industry spirit, and even more, the responsibility of moving toward new quality productive forces." The next forum will be held in Wuxi in March 2026.

    At the closing ceremony, the organizers presented certificates of appreciation to more than 40 co-organizers, assisting organizations, and supporting organizations, including Southeast University, Jiangsu Taixin Machinery Co., Ltd., and Jiangsu Tongzhou Foundation Engineering Co., Ltd., and also commended the authors of 7 excellent academic papers. These measures not only demonstrated the achievements of deep industry-academia-research integration but also injected new momentum into the high-quality development of the industry.

    The successful holding of the 14th Deep Foundation Engineering Development Forum established an important platform for exchange and cooperation in the field of deep foundation and underground space engineering. With the implementation of the "Nanjing Consensus" and the advancement of preparations for the Wuxi Forum and the 2026 International Deep Foundation Exchange Conference, the industry is accelerating its strides toward intelligence, greening, and safety, opening a brand-new chapter of development.