Shandong has seen strong results in pushing forward scientific research and building itself into an innovation-oriented province, said local authorities.

The Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government held a news conference on Sept 1 to discuss the province's scientific and technological progress and innovation.

The Shandong Peninsula is surrounded by the Bohai Sea to the north and the Yellow Sea to the south. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Incubators and mass innovation spaces provide necessary facilities and services for start-ups, and they are the bedrock for many science and innovation enterprises," said Chen Chenggang, an official from the Shandong Provincial Department of Science and Technology.

According to Chen, Shandong has a total of 825 science and technology business incubators above the provincial level, among which 340 are at the national level, ranking first among all provinces in China. The number of incubating enterprises has reached 25,000.

In the first half of this year, the Shandong Provincial Department of Science and Technology launched supporting measures and guidelines to help incubating enterprises tide over challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Official statistics showed that 363 incubators in the province had reduced or waived expenses totaling 196 million yuan ($28.66 million) for 11,541 incubating enterprises, helping small and medium-sized science and technology enterprises resume production.