At a press conference held by the Shandong Provincial Government Information Office, officials from the Department of Industry and Information Technology outlined the province's progress in advancing digital transformation in manufacturing to support high-quality industrial development.

Key measures and achievements in AI-driven industrial upgrades include:

1. **Strategic Planning & Resource Allocation** - The provincial government launched an "AI+" innovation initiative, issuing policies to foster AI industry chain development. - A special fund of ¥1 billion (including ¥200 million newly added this year) supports model and data subsidies, with up to ¥1.5 million for selected projects. - A ¥2 billion AI industry fund promotes both AI industrialization and industrial AI applications.

2. **Industry Growth & Technological Breakthroughs** - Shandong hosts 1,124 AI-focused enterprises, accounting for 9% of China’s AI industry output. - Industrial robot production surged 43% YoY (Jan-Sep). Companies like Asia Vets (珞石機器人) introduced AI-integrated robotic arms, while humanoid robots achieved global leadership in dynamic balance and extreme-environment adaptability. - The province built 30 industry-specific AI models and 20 key data libraries, with 105 AI model applications deployed, including 148 large-scale industrial models.

3. **Infrastructure & Digital Enablement** - Over 270,000 5G base stations were deployed (national leader), with "Gigabit Shandong" covering urban and rural areas. - Pilot "10G+AI" industrial parks and a provincial computing network were established, ranking top nationally in computing power. - Low-altitude infrastructure planning and 5G-enabled smart factories (800+ projects) drove efficiency gains, e.g., a 70% productivity boost at Hisense’s smart factory.

4. **Financial Support & Pilot Programs** - ¥493 million in central subsidies supported 3,000+ SMEs’ digital transformation. - Provincial funds of ¥400 million/year aided 5 digital transformation zones. - Industrial internet platforms served 250,000+ enterprises, with Shandong leading in national-level platforms (6 cross-industry, 40 specialized). - A ¥10 billion digital economy fund invested ¥3.95 billion in 39 projects, leveraging ¥23.3 billion in private capital.

Next steps include deepening 100+ industry-specific AI models and strengthening Shandong’s position as an AI innovation hub. The Communications Administration highlighted advancements in 5G, computing, and IoT infrastructure, while the Finance Department emphasized funding for equipment upgrades (¥134.9 billion in investments) and tech transformation (¥758.4 billion since 2021).