During the booming development of the marine economy in coastal regions, Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong, is taking a lead with the "Blue Silicon Valley" speeding up construction this year.

Within this year, the Qingdao government planned to start construction of 18 key programs, including the National Deep Sea Center, the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology and the Qingdao campus of Shandong University.

Li Naisheng, deputy director of the Department of Science and Technology of Shandong province, said these programs will help Qingdao become an example for the country's coastal cities.