"Xingzhe Taishan", a humanoid robot developed by Shandong Youbaote Intelligent Robotics Company in Jinan, took first place in the 100-meter exhibition race during the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games, highlighting Jinan's technological innovation and the strength of its robotics industry.

Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, is advancing innovation by integrating scientific and technological breakthroughs with industrial development to drive the growth of the city's modern industries.

Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the city's R&D investment has increased by 66.3 percent year-on-year. A total of 20 national key laboratories, 33 national enterprise technology centers, and a national industry innovation center have been established during the period.

Jinan has achieved major scientific and technological breakthroughs. The city's institute set a world record for electromagnetic propulsion of ton-scale objects. Hengyuan Photonics pioneered 12-inch optical-grade lithium niobate crystals, while BellaGen obtained three biosafety approvals for gene-edited food crops.

In March, the Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology, in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology of China, achieved the world's first real-time quantum key distribution between "Jinan-1" quantum micro-nano satellite and a mobile ground station.

At the Sinotruk intelligent heavy truck production factory in Laiwu district, the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and robotic arms move with precision, highlighting Jinan's industrial innovation. According to Zhao Hai, manager of the company, the factory produced over 70,000 vehicles in the first half of the year, up 17 percent year-on-year.

This year, Laiwu has introduced over 50 business-friendly policies covering new energy and intelligent vehicles to support local enterprises.

In addition, the Jinan Innovation Zone has increased its focus on cutting-edge technologies, achieving international-leading results in quantum communication, electromagnetic propulsion, and gene editing. The output value of high-tech industries now accounts for 89 percent of the region's total of industrial enterprises above designated size.