The 2024 Laoshan Ocean Innovation and Development Conference was held on the morning of May 27. Secretary Zeng Zanrong of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech, while Deputy Secretary Zhao Haozhi, also of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee and Mayor of Qingdao, was also in attendance.

The conference, co-hosted by the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (QNLM) in Laoshan and the Qingdao Municipal People's Government, centred around the theme of "Enhancing Strategic Maritime Capacity and Cultivating New Marine Productivity" to harness the QNLM's national strategic scientific and technological prowess to accelerate the integration of cutting-edge technologies into modern marine industries, thereby fostering high-quality development within the marine economy.

In his address, Zeng Zanrong highlighted President Xi Jinping's profound expectations for the maritime development of Shandong and Qingdao that have been providing the provincial and municipal administrations with the much-needed clear direction and fundamental principles for present and future works in the maritime domain. Shandong and Qingdao are deeply engaged in studying and implementing President Xi's significant discourse on maritime development, capitalizing on Qingdao's rich marine resources and unique advantages. The strategy is twofold one: firstly, to diversify the marine industry by revitalizing traditional sectors like marine fisheries and transportation while nurturing emerging ones such as shipbuilding, marine equipment, pharmaceuticals, and bioproducts. Proactive preparations for future sectors like deep-sea exploration and the marine Internet of Things, fostering competitive industrial clusters and establishing Qingdao as a leader in modern marine economic development are also underway. Secondly, the drive to pursue marine innovation by supporting the high-quality development of the Laoshan Laboratory to focus on breaking through critical core technologies, refining collaborative innovation mechanisms across government, industry, academia, research, and finance sectors, and ultimately translating these efforts into tangible productivity. Thirdly, fostering innovative approaches to marine development through establishing and effectively utilizing sophisticated marine artificial intelligence models such as active explorations of novel applications and the driving of deeper integration of digital technologies with marine industries. Fourthly, the construction of new platforms to harness marine resources and leverage significant scientific and industrial platforms to expedite the consolidation of talent, technology, and capital for the cultivation of a thriving ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship. Zeng Zanrong extended a warm invitation for entrepreneurs to take part in the joint effort as "marine partners" in Qingdao. The city is committed to continually enhancing the local business environment and ensure top-tier services to facilitate investment and business growth in our region.

Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the QNLM Wu Lixin delivered a keynote speech.

The opening ceremony also saw the unveiling of the "Hanhai Xingyun (Vast Ocean Nebula)" model, the "Wenhai (Ocean Oracle)" forecasting model, the national initiative for innovation in marine new productivity, and the "Qingdao Marine Artificial Intelligence Nexus: Blueprint 2024-2026". An additional launch ceremony for the marine port artificial intelligence model and a signing ceremony for key marine technology projects also took place.

City officials Geng Tao and Chang Hongjun, along with personnel from relevant municipal- and district-level departments, were also present during the event.