A plan of marine technology innovation corridors, along with key projects for the city’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), was unveiled on the 2020 China Marine Economy Expo that wrapped up yesterday in Shenzhen.

It is said that Shenzhen will build a western marine technology innovation corridor from Shekou, Qianhai, the Marine New Town in Bao’an to Guangming as well as an eastern corridor from Yantian, Dapeng to the Shenshan Special Cooperation Zone.

The Marine New Town, near the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, with a planned area of 7.44 square kilometers, is regarded as the key part of the western corridor.

It is designed to be a model for a global marine-centered city and an industry cluster valued at hundreds of billions of yuan featuring marine electronic information, marine high-end equipment research and development, marine modern service industries, marine ecological environmental protection, and marine new energy.

The construction of the marine new town is ongoing and expected to be completed in 2035 to attract a population of 60,000 people and to achieve an output value of 300 billion yuan (US$44.8 billion).

Another key project along the western corridor is the Shekou International Marine City, which covers an area of nearly 26 square kilometers.

The Shekou International Marine City includes six areas and will focus on industries including marine transportation, cruise economy and offshore oil and gas development.

The western corridor will promote the construction of the industrial belt along the Yantian River and Yantian port, the Baguang International Bio-Valley, the third phase of the Dapeng marine bio-industry park and its incubation base, and the Shenshan Marine Smart Port.

At the same time, China South Marine Science City in Dapeng will be built to primarily develop marine high-end equipment and modern marine services to promote breakthroughs in marine new energy, sea water desalination and marine new materials, according to the report.