Shandong Port Group (SPG) has developed new infrastructure this year via investment in advanced technology, with the aim of upgrading its ports' capacities and injecting new impetus for growth and development. 

As an important part of the national infrastructure, ports are emerging as a key industry in boosting new development at national, provincial and municipal levels.

5G technology, another important driver of new growth, is facilitating the efforts of SPG's container terminals to become technologically advanced and intelligence-based. On Nov 28, 2019, the second phase of the automated container terminal in SPG's Qingdao Port was put into operation. Among its high-technologies, each at the forefront of relevant fields globally, "5G+automation" is considered to be one of the key areas in terms of keeping pace with modern trends and realizing innovative development.

As well as being applied to fully-automated container terminals, 5G technology is also bringing benefits to traditional human-labor dominated terminals. After a two-month trial period, two automated rail-mounted gantry cranes at Qianwan Container Terminal in SPG's Qingdao Port have delivered positive results, serving as a valuable step in the process of turning traditional container yards into automated ones.

If the 5G network is better for data transmission, then artificial intelligence (AI) is better for data analysis. On Jan 1, 2019, the second phase of an intelligent pipeline system was carried out at Yantai Port, implementing Orgvision - the world's first computer-generated technology - into its oil products logistics transportation. With this perfect combination of AI and the oil pipeline, energy transmission becomes far smarter.

The internet of things (IoT), also an indispensable part of new infrastructure, allows staff to work "hands free" and ensures that people-oriented intelligent ports are taking shape at a faster rate. At SPG's Rizhao Port, intelligent technology has created a secure and fast IoT in the 20-kilometre-long belt conveyor, with detection sensors and infrared temperature sensors serving as the connections hiding behind the network.

New infrastructure leads to new opportunities. With the future in mind, SPG will continue to hasten "top-level design" and improve its policy environment. Meanwhile, a slew of new infrastructure demonstration projects with an investment of seven billion yuan ($985 million) are expected to help promote the transformation and upgrading of SPG, as well as expedite the transformation of growth drivers and the high-quality development of Shandong province.