During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Tai'an has advanced toward intelligent, green, and integrated development.

The city has implemented over 1,700 industrial digital transformation projects, achieving a 91.1 percent coverage rate among major enterprises. Over the past five years, Tai'an's R&D investment totaled 10.12 billion yuan ($1.43 billion), growing at an average annual rate of 11.1 percent.

The output value of high-tech industries now accounts for 66.8 percent of total industrial output, an increase of 16.7 percentage points since 2020. Tai'an has been recognized as a national innovation-driven demonstration city and ranks 68th in China's innovative city evaluation, climbing by 10 spots.

As one of Tai'an's four pillar industries, the new materials sector has seen remarkable progress, which has fostered 13 national and 119 provincial specialized and sophisticated SMEs, as well as 10 national and 27 provincial manufacturing champions in the sector. It also established 16 national green factories, demonstrating continuous improvement in sustainability and competitiveness.

Simultaneously, Tai'an has strengthened the development of high-level innovation platforms, established the Taishan Innovation Valley, stepped up efforts to tackle key technologies, and implemented tiered cultivation programs for technology-based enterprises.

By enhancing technical service capabilities, the city has accelerated the growth of specialized and sophisticated SMEs and various enterprises across industrial chains in the race for technological innovation. The "Tai'an Model" in the national digital economy sector has gradually forged a path, accumulated experience, and set a benchmark, injecting sustained momentum into high-quality economic and social development.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Tai'an advances toward intelligent, green, and integrated development. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]