Laoshan district in Qingdao, Shandong province has been revving up efforts to facilitate the development of the virtual reality industry (VR), local media reported.

As a key part of new generation of information technology, the VR industry is profoundly changing the way of life for human beings, creating many new products, new services, new models and new forms of business, and driving unprecedented changes in other industries throughout the country.

Staff of Qingdao Virtual Reality Research Institute of Shandong University debug the system. [Photo/Qingdao Daily]

Laoshan district has a strong foundation to develop the VR industry. At present, Shandong has 13 high-end professional research and development institutions in this field, among which 11 have settled in Laoshan. Official statistics showed that Laoshan is home to about 70 percent of the country's VR research forces.

Relying on the Qingdao Research Institute of Beihang University, Laoshan has set up the National Engineering Laboratory of Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Technology and Application, the Qingdao Branch of the State Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality Technology and System, and other national-level institutions in the VR field.

In cooperation with top domestic universities, industrial alliances, think tanks and other institutions, Laoshan has set up 11 scientific research institutions such as the Shandong University Qingdao Virtual Reality Research Institute and the Qingdao Mountain View Virtual Reality Research Institute.

The laboratory of the Qingdao Virtual Reality Research Institute of Shandong University [Photo/Qingdao Daily]

The district is also working to attract and cultivate talents in the VR field. Local universities have set up VR related majors. In the past five years, nearly 200 undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students majoring in VR have been trained.

The Qingdao Virtual Reality Industry College has also been unveiled in Laoshan. Through industry-university-research cooperation, the college aims to train more talents to support VR industry development.