On August 11, the People's Government of Shandong Province approved the establishment of seven provincial high-tech zones to implement the province's current policies for high-tech zones. Specifically, the seven provincial high-tech zones are Ningyang High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Zhucheng High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Qihe High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Zouping High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Longkou (Ocean) High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Fangzi High-tech Industrial Development Zone, and Yanzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

This July, the Department of Science & Technology of Shandong Province issued Several Measures to Promote High-quality Development of the Hi-tech Industrial Development Zones. One important measure is to build a batch of new provincial high-tech zones in counties with good economic fundamentals and concentrated sci-tech innovation resources in the province.

The approval document requires that the seven new provincial high-tech zones should actively serve and integrate into the new development pattern, open up new fields for development, continuously shape new growth drivers and advantages, accelerate the implementation of innovation-driven development strategies and the realization of high-level sci-tech self-reliance and self-improvement, and vigorously develop leading industries with manufacturing as the mainstay. Thus, these new provincial high-tech zones can be developed into demonstration areas for innovation-driven development, leading areas for the high-quality development of the real economy, and pilot areas for green, low-carbon, and high-quality development.