Officials announce the establishment of the engineering innovation center at SPG's Qingdao Port on June 13. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong-Port]

On June 13, Qingdao Port of Shandong Port Group (SPG) launched an engineering innovation center with the goal of boosting in-depth cooperation between ports, design institutes, universities, and research institutes.

An unveiling ceremony was held both online and offline, with officials from universities, research institutes and design institutes including the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Oceanology, the Ministry of Transport's Tianjin Research Institute for Water Transport Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao University of Technology, CCCC First Harbor Consultants Co and Sinopec's petroleum engineering design arm, in attendance.

Since its establishment three years ago, SPG has adhered to high-standard engineering and has won a slew of industrial awards such as the Zhan Tianyou Award, which is the highest prize in China for civil engineering, the Luban Award, and the National Prime-quality Project Award.

Qingdao Port is one of the major economic hubs in the Yellow River Basin and has played a pivotal role in SPG's development. Therefore, it has a large innovation demand in new wharf construction and old wharf maintenance.

The engineering innovation center, which combines platforms and think tanks, will give full play to major design institutes, universities and sci-tech research institutes' advantages to conduct innovative studies on hydrology engineering, structural mechanics and hydraulics based on the practical needs of the construction of Dongjiakou port area and the renovation of Qianwan port area to better facilitate local port development and national economic growth.