Containers are unloaded at Qingdao Port in Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily]

Shandong province has witnessed booming development in marine economy, according to the 2021 Marine Economy Development Report of Shandong recently released by the provincial government.

Last year, the province's marine economy recovered steadily. According to official data, Shandong's gross ocean product grew 15.7 percent year-on-year to 1.49 trillion yuan (about $209.94 billion) in 2021, accounting for 18 percent of its GDP.

The marine industrial structure continued to improve in Shandong, with the proportion of marine primary, secondary and tertiary industry standing at 6.4 percent, 35.4 percent and 58.2 percent, respectively.

Emerging marine industries, represented by the seawater utilization industry, marine bio-medicine industry and marine power industry, developed rapidly in the province, with a year-on-year growth rate of 19.2 percent, 3.5 percentage points higher than the growth rate of the province's gross marine product.

The province has put more efforts into accelerating marine sci-tech innovation, improving marine development capacity, and fostering and strengthening emerging marine industries of strategic importance.

Last year, three key laboratories in Shandong were newly approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources, which also added 21 provincial marine engineering technology collaborative innovation centers and six provincial modern marine industry technology innovation centers.

The province has also speeded up progress in the construction of world-class sea ports, a well-established modern maritime industry system, and a green and sustainable marine ecological environment.