Innovation Breathes New Life into Traditional Industries in Yanggu, Shandong

LIAOCHENG, China, Nov. 7, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

Amid China’s shift toward high-quality economic development, some traditional industrial hubs are reinventing themselves through innovation.

With breakthroughs in sectors such as optoelectronic cables and high-end chemicals, Yanggu County in Shandong Province stands out as a prime example. Since the beginning of this year, Yanggu has promoted both industrial scale and quality through institutional innovation, technological upgrading, and green transformation.

To optimize its industrial ecosystem, Yanggu has implemented a streamlined “chain leader” mechanism, and established a “straight-to-enterprise” policy delivery system tailored to corporate needs. Categorizing incentives under themes like “technological renovation,” “digital transformation,” and “green development,” the county delivers targeted policy benefits through online and offline channels. Since early this year, this mechanism has unlocked over 10 million yuan in funding for over 20 market entities.

Innovation serves as the engine of Yanggu’s industrial upgrading. By integrating innovation with industrial chains, the county has cultivated a thriving “innovation rainforest.” So far this year, Yanggu has added 20 provincial-level “little giants,” 16 innovative startups, and multiple provincial quality benchmark projects, placing it among the top performers in the region. Yanggu has strengthened and extended its leading industrial chains and fostered collaboration among large, medium, and small enterprises. Strategic clustering of industries has further yielded 1 national-level industrial cluster and 4 provincial clusters, driving economies of scale.

Yanggu is also advancing along a “high-end, intelligent, and green” development path. Through extensive “technological renovation and renewal” initiatives, several major projects, such as a 200,000-ton tower fertilizer facility and a 300,000-ton compound fertilizer project, have been completed or put into operation, contributing to a 38.5% year-on-year increase in technological transformation investment from January to September.

Particularly noteworthy are the county’s achievements in green manufacturing. By aligning industrial value creation with ecological sustainability, Yanggu is dedicated to building a circular green economy. The county now hosts 1 national green industrial park and 9 national green manufacturing demonstration enterprises, the highest in the city. This underscores its firm commitment to “green transformation.”

From institutional empowerment to innovation-driven growth and green transformation, Yanggu’s experience demonstrates that traditional industries are far from “sunset sectors.” When revitalized through innovation, they remain “vibrant contributors” to modern economic transformation.

Source: Information Office of Yanggu County People’s Government