On November 28, the 3rd Forum on Cutting-edge Technologies for Unmanned Undersea Systems opened smoothly at the Pazhou Poly World Trade Center Expo in Guangzhou. This forum was one of the series of academic activities of the 11th Guangzhou International Maritime Trade Exhibition. The forum was organized by the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and hosted by the editorial department of the "Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems" from the China Shipbuilding Group Corporation's 705th Research Institute and Guangzhou Aochi Exhibition Service Co., Ltd. The forum attracted over 100 experts and scholars from universities, research institutes, and technology innovation companies. The participating guests engaged in academic exchanges around the theme of "The Application of AI in Unmanned Undersea Systems".

Secretary-General Wang Junli from the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and Deputy Director Yang Yunchuan from the 705th Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Group Corporation delivered welcoming speeches as representatives of the organizing units. Researcher Shi Xiaofeng, Director of the Science and Technology Committee of the 705th Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Group Corporation, presided over the forum.

Professor Hu Haofeng from Tianjin University, Professor Huang Yulong from Harbin Engineering University, Professor Wang Ning from Dalian Maritime University, Researcher Zhang Tao from the 705th Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Group Corporation, and Researcher Tao Jing from Xi'an Jiaotong University, five renowned experts in the industry, delivered reports on advanced optoacoustic detection technology for oceans, trustworthy intelligent navigation for unmanned systems, key technologies for autonomous control of unmanned vessels, intelligent technology applications for unmanned underwater vehicles, and exploratory applications of reinforcement learning technology in UUV formation coordination missions, respectively. They presented an exciting academic feast for the participating audience.

In the afternoon, the 2024 Editorial Board Meeting of the Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems was held concurrently in Guangzhou. Over 50 editorial board members, young editorial board members, and special guests gathered together to discuss the future of the journal and contribute to its high-quality development.

Deputy Director Yang Yunchuan, the Vice Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, extended a warm welcome to the attending editorial board members and young editorial board members, affirmed the work of the journal in recent years, and encouraged them to actively offer their opinions and suggestions to promote the development of the journal. Researcher Cai Weijun, the Executive Editor-in-Chief of the journal, presided over the meeting.

In order to thoroughly implement the editorial policy of the journal and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the editorial board members and expert groups, especially to encourage the enthusiasm of young scholars in publishing the journal, based on the participation of young editorial board members in journal work and the annual peer review performance of experts, five Outstanding Young Editorial Board Members and ten Outstanding Peer Review Experts for the 2023-2024 period were selected. Vice Chairmen Yang Yunchuan and Shi Xiaofeng presented awards to the outstanding young editorial board members and outstanding peer review experts who were present.

Afterwards, the editorial department provided a detailed work report to the editorial board members, covering topics such as topic selection and planning, organization of academic activities, and journal influence enhancement. To further improve the quality of the journal and strengthen its ability in topic planning and organization, a special session on topic selection and planning was specifically added to this editorial board meeting. Professor Shang Zhigang from Harbin Engineering University and young editorial board member of the journal, Zhu Zicai, a young editorial board member from Xi'an Jiaotong University, Wang Ning, a young editorial board member from Dalian Maritime University, and invited guest Professor Wang Fang from Shanghai Ocean University were invited to give keynote speeches on the planning and organization of special issues, sharing their experiences with the participating guests.

During the discussion session of the meeting, the editorial board members engaged in discussions on various aspects such as how to further enhance the content quality of the journal, innovate and expand forms of academic exchanges, leverage new media platforms for in-depth exploration of academic resources, and share academic resources. They provided new ideas and constructive suggestions for the high-quality development of the journal.

With the conclusion of the discussions, this meeting successfully came to a close. This also marked the successful conclusion of the 2024 Editorial Board Meeting of the Journal (held in Guangzhou in November) and the Youth Editorial Board Meeting (held in Zhuhai in April). The successful hosting of these two events not only deepened communication and understanding among the editorial board members but also pointed out the direction for journal development. The Frontier Science and Technology Forum on Unmanned Undersea Systems held concurrently also became another emerging academic exchange event in the field of unmanned undersea systems, receiving widespread attention.

As an academic journal that has been deeply engaged in the field of unmanned undersea systems for over three decades, the journal remains committed to its mission of promoting academic exchanges and industry development. With the goal of building a world-class, industry-leading high-quality academic journal, the journal continuously provides scientists and engineers with exceptional academic content and diverse academic services through a series of innovative initiatives, aiming to create a comprehensive academic ecosystem for unmanned undersea systems. The journal will work alongside experts and scholars to contribute wisdom and strength to the in-depth implementation of the strategy for marine power, as well as to the vigorous development and technological innovation of the industry.