A sweeping aerial view of Shinan district [Photo/Wang Wei provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shinan district in Qingdao in East China's Shandong province – while occupying only 2.7 thousandths of the city's total land area – last year generated 10 percent of its Gross Domestic Product, according to a local media report.

In 2021, the district has targeted year-on-year GDP growth of around 8 percent, retail sales growth of 9 percent and fixed asset investment growth above 10 percent.

It has also estimated that its general public budget income growth will be above 6 percent, while its registered urban unemployment rate will be within 4 percent. Elsewhere, it will achieve carbon reductions, energy savings and emission reductions targets and environmental quality improvement goals.

To actively meet the expectations of its "project landing year", Shinan has accelerated the development of 76 projects with a total investment of 124 billion yuan ($19.15 billion).

Speeding up drive to scientific, tech innovation

In 2021, Shinan will add 10 innovation platforms above the provincial level and five technological innovation incubators, as well as complete registering technical contracts worth 3 billion yuan.

The SCO Member Technology Transfer Center – which was set up in Shinan last year by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- achieved a technology transfer of 80 percent, involving a total of 500 million yuan in funds, to develop overseas collaborative systems standards and build one overseas coordination center.

Digital economy enabling industry chains

In 2021, more than 3,500 small and medium-sized enterprises will be encouraged to use cloud platforms and the transformation to digitalization, networking and intelligence will be implemented in the district. More than five solutions suppliers with industry influence will be cultivated and a new industrial ecology will cover industrial internet platforms, system solutions, industrial software and other fields.

Shinan will give its full support to the Hisense Group -- a leading TV and appliance manufacturer – to build an industrial internet platform with industrial data intelligence for high-quality products, serving more than 12,000 enterprises.

In addition, last year the turnover more than 30 enterprises that were introduced to the district reached more than 500 million yuan.

Consumption upgrade attracts new forms of business

Shinan had introduced 10 leading global brands, fashion creative experience stores, as well as accelerated the construction of 10 fashion chain store headquarters and opened duty-free service stores, alongside the Tsingtao beer fashion industry headquarters last year.