Innovation-driven Growth
Since the 13th five-year plan period, Qingdao deeply implemented the strategy of innovation-driven development, made efforts to raise scientific and technological innovation ability, cultivated high and new technology industry, optimized the ecology of innovation and entrepreneurship, and continuously improved the supporting and leading ability of scientific and technological innovation. In terms of cities' innovation capacity assessment, Qingdao ranks among the top 10 in China, entering the first echelon.
An innovation platform is a magnet of development opportunities. The national high-end smart home appliance innovation center has been approved; development of such major innovation platforms as National Innovation Center for High-Speed Trains, Center for Ocean Mega-Science of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shandong Energy Institute are being accelerated. The construction of airbreathing engine thermophysical test installment has been launched. There are 137 newly-established innovation platforms at or above the provincial level, 9 national key labs, 10 national engineering technology research centers, 4 national engineering research centers, and 42 national corporate technology centers.
Breakthroughs have been made in key technologies.Major equipment including Jiaolong manned submersible has reached the world's top level. The maglev train prototype running at 600 km/h has rolled off the production line. Breakthroughs have also been made in core technologies of key areas including the 10,000-meter deepsea underwater glider, natural gas hydrate exploration, and tests on rice species with high salt and alkaline tolerance.
The regional innovation system has been improved. The reform in the sci-tech plan management has been deepened; efforts have been stepped up to build the national sci-tech commercialization demonstration area and national marine sci-tech transfer center; the approval has been obtained for building the national independent innovation demonstration zone and one of the first national intellectual property demonstration cities; Haier Group, Qingdao National Hightech Zone, Laixi City, Qingdao Oceantec Valley have become national demonstration bases for innovation and entrepreneurship. We established the peninsula scientific innovation alliance to assist the integrated development of Jiaodong Economic Circle. Qingdao Innovation Festival is held to create the city's sci-tech innovation IP.
Our scientific and technological enterprises have increased significantly. As of 2021, Qingdao has become home to 5,554 high and new tech firms and 6,306 nationally recognized sci-tech SMEs. Unicorn firms represented by COSMOPlat, Juhaokan, TELD, Ririshun, NewLink Group,GENOVA and Weidong Cloud Education are growingrobustly. Thirteen companies have been included in the Global Top 500 Unicorn Enterprises.
