The 2023 World Marine Science and Technology Conference was held in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province from Sept 17 to 19. 

The conference consisted of an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, 11 breakout sessions, and the 2023 exhibition on high-quality development achievements in marine anti-corrosion technology. It was attended by 10 academicians and nearly 800 industry experts and professionals from 11 countries.

Guests attend the 2023 World Marine Science and Technology Conference. [Photo/Qingdao News]

Organized by the Shandong Provincial People's Government and the China Association for Science and Technology, the conference was designed to strengthen international exchanges in marine science and technology and develop a platform for the transformation of marine scientific and technological achievements through the integration of industry, academia, research, and financial services.

The conference helps gather global marine talents and academic and industrial resources to serve the development of a strong marine industry and the construction of Qingdao as a leading modern marine city.

At the conference, participants delivered keynote speeches and engaged in discussions and exchanges in areas such as marine biotechnology, marine medicine, blue foods, and marine energy, presenting insightful ideas that lead industry progress and empower industrial development.

A number of cooperative agreements are signed at the conference. [Photo/Qingdao News]

Local companies also signed cooperative agreements with research institutes at the conference to help boost the transformation of marine scientific and technological achievements.

Qingdao has a solid foundation in developing its marine economy. In the first half of the year, the city's total marine gross domestic product reached 247.94 billion yuan ($33.99 billion), a year-on-year growth of 7.6 percent.

The city is expanding channels for attracting high-end maritime talents from around the world to innovate and start businesses in Qingdao, with the goal of becoming a global leading hub for the high-end maritime economy.