Shandong Port Group (SPG), the world's largest port conglomerate in terms of cargo capacity, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Tianjin Research Institute for Water Transport Engineering of Ministry of Transportation (TIWTE) via an online platform on April 11.

According to the agreement, SPG will join hands with TIWTE to make a great contribution to making China's transport industry stronger. Both sides will adhere to the principle of "Complement each other's advantages to deepen cooperation, and achieve mutual benefit and common development," and expand cooperation in some key areas such as making scientific and technological breakthroughs, and promoting the construction of key scientific research platforms.

SPG has accelerated the process of integrated development among its ports as well as promoted transformation and upgrading since its inception in 2019, in order to achieve high-quality development.

According to official data, SPG's cargo throughput exceeded 1.5 billion metric tons in 2021, and container throughput exceeded 34 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). Aside from the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, the company posted strong growth figures in the first three months of the year, with cargo and container throughput increasing by 6.3 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively, year-on-year.

Efforts have also been made to promote the construction of smart and green ports in Shandong. The group is committed to an innovation-driven development strategy and has achieved remarkable results. 

TIWTE is the country's leading R&D institution in marine traffic engineering, and boasts a number of national and provincial innovation platforms.

SPG signs a strategic cooperation agreement with TIWTE via an online platform on April 11. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong-Port]