Qingdao FTZ releases measures to support high-quality development of advanced manufacturing

Qingdao FTZ releases a slew of concrete measures to expand and strengthen the advanced manufacturing industry. [Photo/WeChat account: qingdaozimao]

The Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Qingdao FTZ) has recently released a slew of measures to expand and strengthen the advanced manufacturing industry, vigorously promote new industrialization, and accelerate the high-quality development of key industrial chains.

According to the measures, the zone will nurture high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises and encourage technological upgrades, while also strengthening enterprise competitiveness and promoting their expansion. The aim is to improve the gradient cultivation system, enhance the innovative role of enterprises, and further drive product innovation, technological iteration, and transformational upgrades.

The zone has also put forward three measures to facilitate the deep integration of digital technologies with advanced manufacturing and enhance the overall level of enterprise intelligence, which includes establishing intelligent manufacturing demonstration benchmarks, supporting the upgrading of the digital economy, and promoting the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises.

In order to encourage enterprises to adopt greener production methods and actively integrate self-assessment into various levels of green manufacturing systems, the zone will enhance the green development of industry and improve industrial energy efficiency.

Additionally, the zone has suggested three policies: leveraging the leading role of chain-leading enterprises, and increasing support for chain enterprise to encourage leading chain enterprises to enhance upstream and downstream collaboration, facilitate the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises into the chain, and enhance the resilience and security levels of industrial chain supply chains.

In 2024, advanced manufacturing in the Qingdao FTZ continued to develop steadily, achieving a total industrial output value of 81 billion yuan ($11.23 billion) for the year. This included a 7.9 percent year-on-year growth in the output value of high-tech manufacturing.