Spectators are captivated as a robot showcases its skills at the 2025 Robot World Cup (RoboCup) Asia-Pacific Qingdao Invitational Tournament held in Qingdao West Coast New Area in September. CHINA DAILY

Qingdao has helped implement the national strategy of building China into a manufacturing powerhouse during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) by focusing on advanced new-type industrialization and the development of new quality productive forces through citywide initiatives.

From 2021 to 2023, Qingdao ranked seventh among the top 100 advanced manufacturing cities in China, rising to sixth in 2024. By prioritizing the industrial economy, Qingdao has maintained stable growth while enhancing both quality and efficiency.

Innovation has strengthened the competitiveness of Qingdao's industries.

The city has implemented a program to enhance manufacturing innovation capacity, establishing centers for smart home appliances and virtual reality innovation, and achieving more than 50 breakthroughs in key technologies.

In addition, the city's industrial upgrading has accelerated. Four clusters involving smart home appliances, rail transit equipment, instruments and meters, and ships and marine engineering have been included in national advanced manufacturing clusters, among 80 nationwide and six in Shandong province. Eight emerging industrial parks, including those focused on artificial intelligence, have been established.

Qingdao has also intensified efforts to cultivate high-quality enterprises.

Focusing on an innovation-driven industrial system, the city now has 5,028 industrial enterprises above designated size. Eight companies, including Haier and Hisense, have been listed among the 2025 China's top 500 manufacturing enterprises.

The integration of the digital and real economies has been deepened, with enterprises making significant strides in their digital and intelligent transformation. The city has established six global lighthouse factories, 14 industrial internet platforms, and 26 service-oriented manufacturing demonstration enterprises. Furthermore, 95.9 percent of industrial enterprises above designated size have completed their digital transformation.

Additionally, Qingdao has made significant progress in green transformation. The city has implemented a peak carbon action plan, developing 67 national-level green factories.

It has been named a national leader in energy and water efficiency, with 14 energy-saving technologies included in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's official recommendation list.