Containers at a port in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on Jan 22, 2023. [Photo/VCG]

Shandong province recently issued the Deepening Reform and Innovation Plan for the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, in which constructing an "innovative zone for marine economy" plays a vital part.

Wang Rentang, deputy director of the Shandong Ocean Bureau, introduced the relevant measures for building the "innovative zone for marine economy" at the news conference held by the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial Government on Feb 21.

Wang said the plan lists five major tasks: Upgrading traditional marine industries, developing emerging marine industries, accelerating the development of modern marine industries, optimizing marine governance and protection systems and strengthening support for marine technological innovation.

"We will focus on the construction of a pilot area featuring green, low-carbon and high-quality growth, boost the ecological protection of the Yellow River Basin and construct a strong marine province. We will conduct in-depth research and scientific planning and add new momentum to the region's marine economy," Wang said.

High-quality development of marine industry

The province has launched the Shandong Province Marine Pharmaceutical and Biological Products Industry Development Plan (2023-27) to support the construction of blue drugstore R&D and production bases.

It is also enhancing cooperation with South Korea in the marine seed industry, exploring a new model for the development of marine ranch complexes integrating tertiary sectors and innovating a conservation path of "combining cultivation and growth" in deep and open seas.

Through large-scale breeding of local endemic species, it has rebuilt the marine biological chain and restored the ecology. 

Also, Shandong carries out pilot projects of recreational fishery management, focuses on new formats of offshore equipment and equipment-based marine ranches and explores an integrated mechanism for R&D, financing, and credit enhancement to introduce new technologies and develop high-end offshore equipment industries.

Improving ocean governance 

Shandong promotes standardized reform of the registration of the right to use sea areas.

The province has carried out pilot projects of county-level marine economic monitoring and evaluation and built a platform for studying economic operations through integrated management of data.

Support for marine technology innovation

The province is also building the Huangshi Bay Marine Economic Zone in Yantai and the Shandong Marine International Standardization Center to speed up technological innovation.

Focusing on internationalized operations and market-oriented development, Shandong is establishing a global organization that integrates scientific and technological cooperation, management, think tanks and trade promotion.