Located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, Shandong province has made progress in promoting coordinated progress between high-quality economic development and the ecological environment.

Part of the province's efforts is cultivating future industries such as artificial intelligence, life sciences, and skilled robotics.

More than 30 reporters conducted field interviews in Jinan, the capital city of Shandong, on Wednesday and Thursday to observe the advancement of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. The group included reporters from media outlets in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, South Korea, and Singapore.

Jinan, where the Yellow River flows through, covers a total area of 10,244.45 square kilometers and is home to over 9.51 million permanent residents as of 2024.

During the tour, journalists visited companies specializing in robotics, bio-cosmetics, and laser processing technology.

At Shandong Yobotics Intelligent Robot Co Ltd, Konstantin Kobaidze from Russia Today TV, was lifted steadily into the air while standing on the back of a quadruped robot. He couldn't help but applaud and said, "Beautiful, beautiful."

"Our independently developed robots have been applied in fields such as mining, power, nuclear energy, underwater operations, emergency rescue, and inspection," Fan Yong, chairman of Yobotics, said.

"They are capable of effectively adapting to complex terrains and external environmental interference."

Fan said that humanoid robots will be widely used in production work and daily life in the future.

"In the first half of this year, industrial robot output in the province grew by 58.6 percent," Chen Fei, director of the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong Province, said.

The province is now home to more than 200 companies involved in the robot sector, including design, research and development, and manufacturing.

Chen said Shandong aims to build itself into a national growth pole for robot research and manufacturing, as well as a new hub for innovative applications.

The province is intensifying efforts to implement the "Robot Plus" application initiative, promoting the use of robots in industrial production, smart agriculture, medical and wellness services, among other fields.

Currently, 26 colleges and institutions in Shandong offer specialized programs in robotics engineering, providing comprehensive support in technology development, industrial incubation, smart manufacturing, and application scenarios.

At Shandong Freda Biotechnology Co Ltd, the clean, orderly, and fully transparent facility, equipped with advanced technology, offered reporters a firsthand look at the rapid evolution of smart manufacturing.

The plant operates 35 modern production lines that are automated, digital, and intelligent, reducing labor intensity while improving production efficiency and quality. Processes such as automatic filling, coding, quality inspection, and packaging are integrated and operate at high speed.

"We export raw materials of hyaluronic acid to more than 70 countries and regions, including those in Europe," Gao Chunming, chairman of Freda, said.

"Domestic cosmetics are gaining an increasing market share, with young consumers becoming the main force driving the purchase of homegrown brands."

"Because our company started as a pharmaceutical manufacturer before expanding into cosmetics, all our R&D personnel adhere to the rigorous standards of drug development when creating cosmetics, with strict controls from research to production," he said.

The media group also visited Jinan Senfeng Laser Technology Co Ltd, which specializes in laser cutting, welding, and cladding equipment. By integrating laser technology with smart manufacturing concepts, the company has independently developed intelligent production lines such as flexible laser processing lines, intelligent sheet metal bending centers, and flexible sheet metal forming lines.

The company's products are being used in over 100 countries and regions.

"Shandong will continue to boost innovation and upgrade its industries to develop a modern, high-quality economy in the Yellow River basin," Sun Aijun, director of Shandong Development and Reform Commission, said.