Shouguang: Technological Innovation Fuels "Core" Power

At the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Conference held in late July, four projects from Shouguang City were honored with the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award. Among these, the project "Breeding of New Tomato Varieties to Replace Imports and Innovation and Application of Ecological Efficient Cultivation Technology", undertaken by Sanmu Seedlings Co., Ltd., won the First Prize. This marks another significant achievement in Shouguang City's ongoing commitment to technological innovation. In recent years, Shouguang City has been promoting the deep integration of the innovation, industrial, capital and talent chains, comprehensively strengthening innovation as a top priority, and continuously shaping new advantages for high-quality development.

Establishing platforms to provide robust support

In recent years, Shouguang City has vigorously implemented the technological innovation platform enhancement initiative, encouraging enterprises to significantly increase investment in platform construction. Through various approaches such as self-construction or joint ventures with universities and research institutes, they have established R&D platforms to strengthen independent and foundational innovation. To date, Shouguang has established 155 technological innovation platforms at the Weifang City level and above, and 32 at the provincial level and above.

To enhance platform alignment and construction quality, Shouguang City has actively focused on building platforms around its key industries, such as modern agriculture, biopharmaceuticals, and new materials. A large number of high-quality platforms have been established and put into use. The only Facility Vegetable Technology Innovation Center in the entire province has been established in Shouguang. Additionally, numerous high-quality platforms, such as the "Shandong Key Laboratory of Starch Biobased Materials and Green Manufacturing", the "Shandong Provincial Bromine-Based Drug Technology Innovation Center" and the "Shandong Provincial Melon and Watermelon Technology Innovation Center", have been successively completed and put into operation or approved for construction.

The strong synergy between advantageous industries and these high-quality platforms has significantly boosted Shouguang's capabilities in independent and foundational innovation. Following the establishment of Shandong Key Laboratory of Starch Biobased Materials and Green Manufacturing, the first domestic success in high optical purity, low-cost, calcium-free L/D-lactic acid green production technology was achieved. Its high optical purity D-lactic acid product has broken the foreign monopoly, filled a domestic gap, secured 24 invention patents, and contributed to the formulation of over 40 standards.

Attracting and cultivating talent to fortify competitive advantages

Fukang Group, the largest pharmaceutical company in Weifang City, has established a comprehensive industrial chain "from a stone to a tablet". Among its offerings, three raw material drug varieties rank first in global production and sales, and the diabetes medication Metformin Hydrochloride holds approximately one-third of the global market share.

Behind market influence lies technology, and behind technological influence lies talent. Yang Lei, Party Secretary and President of Fukang Group, believes that the most critical factor enabling the company to advance to the high-end of the pharmaceutical industry value chain is talent. Currently, Fukang Group boasts 19 high-level experts and 7 provincial and above scientific research and innovation platforms, providing the company with significant advantages in market competition.

Shouguang City adheres to the integrated promotion of talent, education, science and technology, and industry, driving deep integration of industry and talent, and synergy between talent and technology. In 2024, Shouguang City organized the application of 104 key talent projects at or above the provincial level. Good projects retain skilled talent, and as of now, Shouguang has 35 collaborating academicians and 76 key talents at or above the provincial level.

To effectively serve as a bridge and link for government departments, Shouguang City targets the innovation needs of key industries and explores the development of an industry-university-research integrated talent attraction and cultivation mechanism. In 2024, Shouguang City held 67 school-locality and school-enterprise talent matching activities, appointed 15 deputy general managers from the ranks of scientific and technological talents, introduced over 6,800 college and university graduates and 27 full-time PhDs, and independently cultivated over 1,900 highly skilled talents.

Strengthening support to drive innovation breakthroughs

To accelerate innovation breakthroughs, Shouguang City is directing all resources, including policies, capital, and industrial parks, toward technological innovation, fully supporting the development of high-tech enterprises.

To create a technology innovation agglomeration effect, Shouguang City has established six incubation centers, including the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center New Economy Empowerment Industrial Park, Xicheng Sci-Tech Empowerment Center, and High-tech Zone Technological Innovation Industrial Park. These parks have introduced various preferential policies tailored to their industrial characteristics to attract high-tech enterprises.

Shouguang City is also actively building a technology-finance cooperation platform. This year, it has organized two "government-bank-enterprise" matchmaking meetings, facilitated 106 innovation voucher applications, and recorded 127 cases of Shandong Province Scientific and Technological Achievements Transformation Loan Risk Compensation for enterprises, totaling 545 million yuan.

The high-tech enterprises "multiplication" project has been launched, establishing a "micro-growth, small-to-high advancement" tiered cultivation mechanism. By adopting a "departments + towns and sub-districts + service agencies + enterprises" collaborative approach, a high-tech enterprise cultivation database has been created, offering precise guidance services to 102 registered enterprises.

Continuous investment has yielded a thriving landscape. Currently, the total number of high-tech enterprises in Shouguang City has surpassed 200, with 350 technology-based SMEs registered. The high-tech industry now accounts for over 60% of the city's total industrial output value. Technological innovation has truly injected new vitality into Shouguang's high-quality industrial development.