The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province has launched a three-year action plan to boost the development of the industrial internet, which is crucial to further expand the city's manufacturing prowess.

The industrial internet refers to a network of combined, advanced machines with internet-connected sensors that can collect and analyze data from consumers, suppliers and factories. It is designed to allow companies to customize products at a desired speed and scale while boosting productivity and reducing costs.

Visitors inspect intelligent products that were developed by Haier Group's COSMOPlat industrial internet platform. [Photo provided to China Daily]

According to the three-year action plan, more than 35,000 5G base stations will be built and put into operation in Qingdao, and the number of 10G-PON ports and above will reach 90,000. The city is expected to lead the country in the development of new generation information and communication networks.

The city is also expected to encourage companies to build and use industrial internet platforms. The comprehensive service platform for industrial internet enterprises will incubate more than 30 ace industrial apps. It will develop 30 new platforms in specific industries and fields to provide services to more than 100,000 enterprises, resulting in an increase in output value of over 100 billion yuan ($15.23 billion).

Qingdao promotes the development of the industrial internet. [Photo/VCG]

It will cultivate more than three national and provincial demonstration projects based on "industrial internet platform + park", and the penetration rate of the industrial internet platform in the city will reach 45 percent.

It will foster more than 50 eagle enterprises and over 20 gazelle enterprises in industries related to the industrial internet, and build more than three industrial internet industrial clusters. The added value of the core industries of the digital economy is expected to account for 10 percent of its GDP.