Construction of the Rizhao Economic and Technological Development Zone began in August 1991. In April 2010, it was upgraded to a national-level economic and technological development zone with the approval of the State Council. The zone administers two subdistricts and has a permanent population of 168,000. After more than 30 years of development and construction, the zone’s modern industrial clusters have continued to expand, its functions for opening up to the outside world have steadily strengthened, and its environment for innovation and entrepreneurship has been increasingly optimized. It is currently striving to become the city’s primary hub for economic development, its leading center for opening up to the outside world, and its premier “three-in-one” (production, living, and ecology) industrial park.

The zone boasts superior geographical and transportation conditions. Adjacent to the city center, with direct access to the port and maritime resources, and featuring well-developed transportation networks, the Rizhao Economic and Technological Development Zone possesses distinct comparative advantages in location, resources, and transportation, offering uniquely favorable comprehensive conditions. To the north, it borders the New City District, an important functional area of Rizhao’s central urban zone. Public facilities such as cultural, medical, health, and sports amenities share the city’s high-quality resources and are fully integrated into the city’s 15-minute living service circle.To the east, it borders the Yellow Sea with abundant coastal resources. It is integrated with the Rizhao Port Area—ranked seventh globally and sixth among China’s coastal ports in terms of throughput—and features the province’s largest and the city’s only national-level central fishing port.To the west, it is just a 10-minute drive from Rizhao West High-Speed Rail Station and a 20-minute drive from Rizhao Airport. The Rizhao West (High-Speed Rail) Comprehensive Transportation Hub is located within the district. Four rail lines—Qingyan, Lunan, Xinhe-Yanyu-Rizhao, and Wa-Rizhao—and three expressways—Shenhai, Changshan-Shenzhen, and Rizhao-Lanzhou—cross the area. Situated at the city’s gateway, the district boasts a diverse and multi-dimensional transportation network.

The district boasts a robust foundation for port-related industries. By leveraging the “port-front, factory-back” advantage, it has cultivated port-related industries such as grain and oil food processing, pulp and paper printing and packaging, and automobiles and core components. In the grain and oil sector, the district has attracted leading domestic and international grain enterprises such as COFCO, Sinograin, Bunge, and Cargill. It serves as a major domestic hub for imported soybean and sugar processing capacity and is accelerating the development of an integrated full-industry-chain base for grain and oil import-export trade and processing;The pulp and paper industry boasts an annual production capacity of 2.2 million tons of wood pulp, 100,000 tons of chemical mechanical pulp, 650,000 tons of high-grade white cardstock, 530,000 tons of cultural paper, 150,000 tons of household paper, and 25,000 tons of Lyocell fiber. It holds the first and second highest market shares nationwide for sulfate hardwood pulp and liquid packaging board, respectively;The automotive industry has formed three major sectors: complete vehicles, core components for Hyundai Motor, and specialized automotive parts. It has attracted 47 domestic and foreign enterprises and possesses comprehensive supporting capabilities across the entire production process, including molten aluminum, casting, forging, stamping and welding, surface treatment, and precision machining. It has been approved as a National Demonstration Base for New Industrialization in the Automotive Industry (Parts). At the same time, the region is accelerating the development of emerging industries such as biomedicine and new chemical materials, port-based new energy and offshore engineering equipment, and modern logistics.

Outstanding in openness and development. Adhering to the principle of “thriving on reform, pursuing openness, and championing innovation,” the city has successfully established a National Ecological Industrial Demonstration Zone, a National Low-Carbon Industrial Demonstration Zone, a National Green Industrial Park, a National Marine Economic Development Demonstration Zone, and one of Shandong Province’s first International Cooperation Zones. It is home to the port-oriented Rizhao Comprehensive Bonded Zone and the province’s only bio-chemical industrial park. Various platforms for openness and development complement and synergize with one another, creating a high-quality and efficient business environment.The area is home to more than 60 enterprises invested in by Fortune Global 500, China’s Top 500, and China’s Top 500 Private Enterprises, as well as over 200 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises, achieving a landscape where “large enterprises stand tall and small enterprises are everywhere.”