Innovation powers Qingdao new area

The Qingdao West Coast New Area in Shandong province treats innovation as the key to lead marine science and technology.

As the only national-level area in China focused on marine economic development, it is home to 70 key laboratories above provincial level; 541 innovation platforms above municipal level, such as enterprise technology and engineering research centers; 882 high-tech enterprises; and 1,141 national science and technology small and medium-sized enterprises.

Seven projects in the area have won a National Science and Technology Award and 31 have won a Provincial Science and Technology Award.

In the first quarter, the new area achieved a 12.8 percent increase in marine production, accounting for 43.1 percent of the region's GDP. Its six characteristic marine industries' added value increased by 15.8 percent.

On May 20, the world's first 100,000-metric-ton intelligent fishery vessel Guoxin No 1 was put into operation at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding of China State Shipbuilding Corp, demonstrating the area's development of the marine economy with technological innovation.

At present, the area is making every effort to promote the layout of major scientific and technological innovation platforms.

It has attracted 11 sea-related scientific research institutes, eight academician workstations and a batch of national post-doctoral research institutes.

It is also building high-end platforms and scientific and technological innovation centers, in sectors such as ships, marine engineering equipment and seaweed biology.

Relying on "national brand "marine science research institutes and major innovation platforms, the area has strengthened the link between platforms and the maritime industry.

One example is the Oceanographic Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It has integrated 13 ocean-related scientific research institutes, established research and development centers and transformation centers, and built an innovation and entrepreneurship community.

Another is CSIC (Qingdao) Marine Equipment Research Institute, which focuses on high-tech ships, marine resource development equipment, marine environment monitoring systems and other fields. Diagnosis Technology pioneered by China University of Petroleum has been applied to liquefied natural gas pipelines. It has ensured the safe handling and unloading of 14.5 million tons of LNG in Dongjiakou Port of Qingdao.