Zhao Yan, Party secretary of Shinan, delivers a keynote speech during the 2020 Qingdao Shinan Entrepreneurs Conference on Nov 10. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]

The 2020 Qingdao Shinan Entrepreneurs Conference was held in the Shinan district of Qingdao city in East China's Shandong province on Nov 10, with the theme of "Gathering in Shinan for a Better Future", according to the organizers.

The event gathered more than 260 entrepreneurs from all walks of life, including government officials and experts from scientific research institutes and industry think tanks.

Gao Jian, deputy secretary of the Party committee of Shinan, unveiled 20 policies related to attracting investment and the high-quality economic development in Shinan.

Zhang Wei, deputy director of Shinan, signed 11 project contracts with companies and institutes including Qingdao Metro, Sino-Norwegian (Qingdao) Technology Innovation Center and the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF).

Zhao Yan, Party secretary of Shinan delivered a speech, in which she firstly reviewed the entrepreneurial history of Shinan and pointed out that the majority of entrepreneurs had made great contributions to its achievements.

"Entrepreneurs are the 'backbone' of Shinan's economic development", Zhao said. "Their 36,000 enterprises now account for more than 80 percent of the district's GDP, nearly 90 percent of its fixed asset investment and more than 90 percent of its fiscal revenue," she added.

Local officials said that Shinan district, with its developed service economy and superior business environment, has become the first choice for innovation and entrepreneurship.

It boasts more than half the city's first-class commercial buildings, 147 large corporate headquarters and contributes 10 percent to Qingdao's Gross Domestic Product each year.