Qingdao, Shandong province [Photo/VCG]

The West Coast New Area, and Chengyang, Shinan and Jimo districts in Qingdao, Shandong province, have been included on the China's top 100 districts list for their 2022 innovation capacities.

The list was released on April 6 by CCID Consulting, a firm affiliated with a think tank under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The ranking was based on four aspects of a district's innovation ecology, innovation motivation, innovation objectives, and innovation results. It comprehensively analyzed the innovation level in key areas such as science and technology innovation, industrial technology innovation and reform innovation of 906 prefecture-level municipal districts throughout the country.

Five districts in Shandong made the list, among which the Qingdao West Coast New Area ranked the highest at 15th, and was followed by Lixia district in Jinan, which ranked 38th.

Qingdao's Chengyang, Shinan and Jimo districts ranked 73rd, 74th and 100th, respectively.

This year, the Qingdao West Coast New Area will continue to promote innovation-driven development. It will add 20 technological innovation platforms above the municipal level and cultivate 200 new outstanding small- and medium-sized enterprises. Research and development spending by local industrial enterprises above designated size is expected to increase by 10 percent.

Chengyang district will focus on scientific and technological innovation and build high-level innovation carriers. The number of innovation platforms at or above the municipal level, such as technological innovation centers and key laboratories, will increase by 30 to more than 180, and the number of various technology incubation carriers will reach more than 37.

Shinan district will add 80 new high-tech enterprises and cultivate 40 new outstanding small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Jimo district will encourage the Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao) to co-establish laboratories with Peking University and other universities and institutes, and continue to increase efforts to attract more talents.