Important in Qingdao's development strategy, Laoshan district is a city of science and technology that is a fertile ground for innovation and a number of strategic emerging industries and future industries.

In 1994, the initial batch of high-tech enterprises in Qingdao began to congregate in Laoshan. Over the past 30 years, Laoshan has focused on expanding and strengthening the value chains of seven key industries including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and modern finance.

The district has attracted a large number of innovative enterprises, including nine unicorn companies, 28 nationally recognized specialized and new "little giant" enterprises, 47 provincial-level gazelle enterprises, and 920 high-tech enterprises, all of which are among the top in the city in terms of quantity.

Laoshan district currently has the highest density of scientific and technological innovation in Shandong, with 178 high-tech enterprises per 10,000 companies, 52 national and provincial-level scientific research institutions, and 160 academicians and high-level talents.

By 2023, the proportion of the output value of high-tech industries in Laoshan district to the total output value of large-scale industries reached 86.55 percent, with the leading industry scale exceeding 180 billion yuan ($25.33 billion). Laoshan district has been selected as one of the nation's top 100 industrial zones for two consecutive years.

Taking virtual reality as an example, as early as 2016, Laoshan district proposed that it become China's virtual reality industry capital. In 2022, Qingdao constructed an industrial park featuring virtual reality in Laoshan, which has a planned area of over 2,000 mu (133.33 hectares), aiming to create an internationally leading highland for the virtual reality industry.

With the establishment of the industrial park, Laoshan district has vigorously attracted industry-leading enterprises and high-growth companies, as well as top talents in virtual reality. Currently, the park has attracted leading consumer-facing companies such as Douyin Pico and Dapeng VR, as well as core supporting enterprises such as electroacoustic components manufacturer GoerTek and Chinese virtual reality headset maker Pico. Shipments of high-end VR products from leading companies in the park account for over 80 percent of the domestic market.

In 2023, the scale of the virtual reality industry in Laoshan district surpassed 18 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 50 percent, and the virtual reality industry cluster was selected as a provincial-level future industry cluster.

Important in Qingdao's development strategy, Laoshan district is a city of science and technology that is a fertile ground for innovation and a number of strategic emerging industries and future industries. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]