China’s first vacuum-based automatic mooring system has been put into operation at the Port of Qingdao, reducing mooring time to just 30 seconds compared with 20–30 minutes using conventional methods. The system began operating on January 1 at a fully automated container terminal and was first used during the berthing of the 366-meter-long container vessel MSC Saudi Arabia. Mooring is carried out without human involvement: vacuum modules secure the vessel’s hull directly to the quay, eliminating the need for mooring lines. The system consists of 13 modules installed along the berth and is designed to handle container ships longer than 200 meters. According to port authorities, the technology is expected to reduce total berth time by more than 200 hours per year, equivalent to handling over ten additional vessel calls at a single berth. Beyond productivity gains, the key benefit lies in improved industrial safety, as removing manual operations in mooring zones significantly reduces risks for port workers. The project further strengthens Qingdao’s role as a benchmark site for scaling intelligent port technologies across China.