The launch ceremony for the Xinghai Internet Technology Demonstration Project was held in Qingdao on November 28, attended by Qingdao Municipal Standing Committee Member and Vice Mayor of Qingdao Wang Bo who delivered a speech.

Approved in September 2024, the Xinghai Internet Technology Project is the first marine industry demonstration initiative in the natural resources sector to leverage low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Led by the North Sea Bureau Support Center under the Ministry of Natural Resources, the project focuses on advancing applications of domestically developed LEO satellites in the marine sector. It aims to build a competitive innovation and application framework for LEO satellite-based marine industries.

At the launch event, a Department of Marine Strategic Planning and Economics officer of the Ministry of Natural Resources emphasized efforts to integrate the project into key national initiatives under central and provincial collaboration. The research will focus on critical areas such as developing marine environment-adaptive terminals and building data hubs to drive marine technology innovation and industry growth while fostering new drivers and advantages for the blue economy. The North Sea Bureau Support Center highlighted that the Xinghai Internet Technology serves as a strategic opportunity to capitalize on the rapid growth of China's domestically developed LEO satellite internet sector. The project aims to establish a pioneering industrial ecosystem for LEO satellite-based marine applications by piloting marine applications and cultivating new quality productive forces for marine applications. It aspires to create a national model for high-quality development and advanced applications of satellite internet technologies.