From tongue to fingertips, from fields to workshops, digital technology continues to expand the boundaries of industries. As the leading city and core stronghold in the construction of a digital powerhouse province, Jinan has been at the forefront in proposing to build a pioneering digital city. It focuses on the construction of digital institutions, digital governance, digital economy, and digital society, empowering various industries with digital capabilities and driving the dynamic growth of Digital Jinan.

New Dynamics in the Ancient City Area

Red brick walls, glass curtain walls, the blend of ancient charm and a strong sense of technology—it's the Minghu Xinchuang International Industrial Park, a provincial-level digital demonstration park that cultivates the digital innovation industry.

Nearly 40 companies in the fields of big data and new-generation information technology have already gathered in the Minghu International Xinchuang Industrial Park. Huawei's "Three Innovation Centers," iFLYTEK, and other digital innovation enterprises have started their business here. National-level public service cloud platforms, such as China Academy of Information and Communications Technology's "Spark-Chain Network" super hub and Baidu's "Dual Centers" have also found their home here. Digital technology has transformed this ancient city area. By the end of this year, it is expected that the park's companies will achieve a revenue of over 1.5 billion yuan. The park's advantage lies in the collection and utilization of first-hand data. By bridging the "last mile" and facilitating the circulation of data elements, digital technology truly empowers various industries. The digitization leap in the ancient city area is also a vivid reflection of Jinan's construction as a pioneering digital city. In 2022, the core digital industries in Jinan accounted for more than 17% of the GDP, with the digital economy contributing over 47% to the GDP, ranking first in the province and sixth in the national digital economy city rankings.

Creating Something from Nothing in the Industrial Chain

Driving eastward along Jingshi Road, the vast Jinan Supercomputing Center Science and Technology Park now stands amidst towering skyscrapers. In the central area of Jinan Intelligent Sensor Industrial Park, 28 factory buildings and office buildings have sprung up.

In this park, there is the "Shanhe" supercomputer platform with comprehensive computing power ranking among the international forefront, enabling Jinan to possess over 50% of the domestic artificial intelligence computing power. However, the sensor industry here was almost nonexistent before.

Why develop the sensor industry in the Licheng District where the industrial area used to focus on heavy industry? When you spot an opportunity, you seize it immediately! The Licheng District has made the development of the digital economy the first among its "four major industries." Within a year, not only have factories and office buildings risen here, but also an integrated intelligent sensor industrial chain spanning upstream, midstream, and downstream has taken shape.

Currently, the park has signed contracts with over 80 companies, covering integrated circuits, big data, artificial intelligence and network security. It contains more than 20 high-tech enterprises and specialized new enterprises. There are also 17 companies preparing for listing and several potential unicorn companies.

Over the past 12 years, Jinan has made remarkable achievements in the field of quantum technology: achieving quantum key distribution over a thousand kilometers without relay fiber, realizing the highest-precision millimeter-level non-line-of-sight 3D imaging in the world, developing the world's first quantum micro-nano satellite "Jinan-1," deploying the world's first small-scale and mobile quantum satellite ground station, and creating China's first commercial quantum communication network.

The "Numerical" Acceleration of the "Urban Brain"

The government data, traffic data and the operation of city infrastructure are all showed on the large screens of the Smart Quancheng Operations Management Center.

This place is known as the "Urban Brain" of Jinan. Here, from precise regulation of traffic lights to efficient and intelligent management of the entire city, the Urban Brain is constantly in operation, safeguarding a better life for its citizens. Currently, there has been 1,792 signal lights in Jinan connecting to the "Traffic Brain," with a networked control rate of over 90%.

Digital empowerment of various industries requires innovation and heartfelt dedication.

In the Jinan Municipal Government Service Hall, relying on big data technology, over 99% of the government services in Jinan can be conducted online from start to finish. From replacing paper licenses with electronic licenses to realizing fully online, cross-provincial, and mobile government services for a large number of service matters, more and more digital government service scenarios are making it easier, faster, and more convenient for businesses and the public to conduct their affairs.

If the public no longer needs to run errands, it demands that data "run" faster. In recent years, Jinan has been actively promoting the construction of digital government services and vigorously promoting the "All Set In the City of Springs" service brand. With the "Shandongtong" platform as the foundation, nearly 50 applications have been launched, with an activation rate of nearly 75%. Through the "Aishandong-Jinan Branch" platform, more than 2,000 mobile services in government services, transportation, healthcare, and other fields have been interconnected, allowing data to flow smoothly in every step of government services.

By 2022, there has been 200 communities in Jinan being included in the list of smart community construction projects supported by the province, which achieved to be the highest number in Shandong. In 2023, the construction of smart communities in Jinan will be further accelerated and expanded with the aim of building over 100 new smart communities and creating 1-2 model smart communities, exploring a batch of replicable best practices.

As the construction of Digital Jinan deepens, there will be more tangible "digital scenes" that enter our lives, leaving a more brilliant mark in building a "strong, new, superior, rich, and beautiful high-quality modern socialist provincial capital."

(Journalists: Yuan Yuhua, Hua Shan, Hou Yawen, Li Xiaotong)