As the year draws to a close, Yantai is set to host another significant event. On December 4, the Shandong Province Green and Low-Carbon High-Quality Development Pilot Zone Construction Work Promotion Conference will be held in Yantai. This not only affirms Yantai's commitment to an eco-prioritized and green development path but also marks a pivotal opportunity to propel the city's industries toward innovation, sustainability, and future readiness. Seizing this moment, Yantai will leverage top-level strategic planning and technological innovation to accelerate the transformation of traditional industries and the deep-rooted growth of emerging sectors, building a modern industrial system anchored by the real economy. This will lay a solid foundation for green, low-carbon, and high-quality development while injecting new momentum into Shandong's broader economic progress.

1. Strategic Leadership and Institutional Support: The Framework of a Modern Industrial System Coinciding with the conference, impressive economic data highlights Yantai's high-quality growth: In the first three quarters of this year, Yantai's GDP grew by 6.4% year-on-year, ranking among the top in China's "trillion-yuan GDP club." Industrial added value of large-scale enterprises surged by 13.9%, with industrial profits ranking second in the province. Behind these figures lies a profound transformation of Yantai's industrial system, driven by strategic vision and institutional innovation.

Central to this transformation is the "Chain Leader System." Since 2021, Yantai has pioneered this mechanism, assigning municipal leaders as "chain leaders" for 16 key industrial chains, supported by designated departments, industrial parks, and leading enterprises. This system fosters efficient resource allocation and ecosystem integration, including innovation platforms, talent pools, and industrial funds. The results are striking: By 2024, 11 manufacturing chains achieved an output value of 932.6 billion yuan, up 233.4 billion yuan from 2021, with an average annual growth of 10.1%.

Complementing this is the "Enterprise Doubling Plan," which has rewarded 145 high-performing companies with 530 million yuan in incentives since 2022. These enterprises, though fewer than 10% of the city's large-scale industrial firms, contributed nearly 70% of Yantai's industrial output in 2024 and housed 90% of its national manufacturing champions.

Major projects further fuel growth. In 2025, 321 key projects with a total investment exceeding 230 billion yuan broke ground, including the Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Industrial Park and Wanhua Chemical's low-carbon new materials industrial park. These projects, characterized by high investment and cutting-edge technology, solidify Yantai's position as a hub for advanced productivity.

2. Industrial Reshaping: Harmonizing Tradition and Innovation Guided by clear strategies, Yantai's industrial evolution balances the revitalization of traditional sectors with the cultivation of emerging ones. Traditional industries like chemicals and automobiles are undergoing green and high-end transformations. For instance, Wanhua Chemical's seventh-generation MDI technology doubles the capacity of foreign peers, while Nanshan Aluminum has built the world's most comprehensive aluminum processing chain, serving aerospace and high-speed rail sectors.

In green innovation, Dongfang Electronics has transitioned from equipment manufacturing to providing integrated energy solutions. Its virtual power plant project, the first city-level digital platform in China, reduces carbon emissions by over 7 million tons annually and has been exported to 60+ countries.

Emerging industries thrive in clusters. Clean energy leads the charge, with Yantai aiming to become "Northern China's Clean Energy Center." Achievements include Shandong's first nuclear and offshore wind power projects, alongside a 700-billion-yuan investment in four major energy bases. Breakthroughs in hydrogen fuel cell components by Dongde Industrial and heterojunction solar technology by Guosheng highlight local innovation.

Biopharma, a national strategic cluster, boasts 87 large-scale firms. Advanced materials and equipment manufacturing also flourish, with 107 firms in新材料. Notably, Taihe New Materials ranks second globally in aramid fiber production, while its new polymer research institute tackles industrialization challenges.

Future-oriented sectors like low-altitude economy and commercial aerospace are gaining traction. Yituo UAV's TP1000, the first airworthiness-certified ton-class transport drone, features locally sourced materials. Meanwhile, Haiyang's Oriental Spaceport has enabled multiple sea launches, fostering a billion-yuan industrial cluster integrating manufacturing and space tourism.

Data underscores this momentum: By mid-2025, Yantai housed 2,523 high-tech firms, driving a 15.7% growth in high-tech manufacturing. The city now hosts two national and four provincial strategic emerging industrial clusters, leading Shandong in forming a robust "Yantai Matrix" of new growth drivers.

3. Dual Engines of Innovation and Digitalization: Redefining Competitive Edge At its core, industrial transformation hinges on shifting growth drivers. Yantai prioritizes科技创新 and digitalization as twin engines, investing heavily in ecosystems that convert research into practical solutions.

A pivotal shift is from passive project selection to proactive, industry-aligned R&D. The city's科技局 has identified nearly 300 core technological needs, securing 211 provincial innovation projects in 2024—the highest in Shandong. High-caliber platforms like the Advanced Materials & Green Manufacturing Lab and collaborations with Nanjing航空航天大学 bridge research and industry.

Enterprises drive innovation. State-owned firms, incentivized by policies like R&D expense rebates, invested 15.2 billion yuan in research. Breakthroughs include Taihe's aramid fibers for lunar missions and Jinzheng Environmental's nanofilm technology, which purifies billions of tons of industrial wastewater annually. In 2024, Yantai claimed 39 provincial science awards, reflecting its vibrant innovation landscape.

Digital transformation is institutionalized through the "Yantai Digital Economy Promotion Regulations," effective January 2025. The "1-10-100-1000-10000" initiative supports SMEs with诊断, training, and subsidies up to 1 million yuan per project. Today, 95% of large-scale industrial firms have embraced digitalization, showcasing deep integration of tech and manufacturing.

As the conference approaches, Yantai stands ready to showcase its modern industrial framework, underpinned by sustainability and innovation, inviting global partners to collaborate on a greener, smarter future. This gathering promises to energize Shandong's high-quality development trajectory with fresh momentum.