Qingdao Brands Interview: Insights from Prominent Companies in Shandong's Multinational Business Sector
In August 2025, Qingdao, China, played host to a significant event titled "Renowned Qingdao Brands". Organized by iqingdao, the event aimed to explore the practices of multinational enterprises in Shandong, providing a platform to showcase the region's achievements in various fields, including industrial innovation and intelligent manufacturing.
Twenty central and provincial mainstream media were invited to attend the event, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the operations of some of Qingdao's most renowned brands, such as Haier, Hisense, China Movie Metropolis, and Qingdao Port.
The event began with a visit to Qingdao Port, where journalists witnessed the 400,000-ton ore terminal, embodying the port's cutting-edge automation and digitalization. Utilizing Artificial Intelligence, Qingdao Port optimizes vessel scheduling, weather impact forecasts, and loading processes, enabling record fast ship turnarounds and container clearance. This digital prowess supports international shipping companies from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and the port handles diverse cargo types beyond containers, enhancing resilience and market reach. As a logistics gateway connecting northern China’s hinterland provinces to international markets, Qingdao Port plays a crucial role in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
At Haier, journalists visited the application of "AI + Manufacturing" on the COSMO Industrial Internet Platform, showcasing the company's commitment to smart manufacturing processes. Haier, a global home appliance leader, leverages Shandong’s strategic location, port access, and regional industrial policies to enhance its competitiveness globally.
Hisense, another major electronics and consumer appliance company, was also on the itinerary. Journalists delved into the use of MiniLED TVs and laser TVs, highlighting Hisense's internationalization strategies marked by innovation, technology adoption, and global market expansion.
The event culminated at China Movie Metropolis (CMC), a large film industry cluster in Qingdao. As a platform blending cultural innovation with high-tech production capabilities and international market links, CMC demonstrates multinational enterprise practices in creative industry development, international co-productions, and cultural exports. Journalists explored the world's largest underwater production center, witnessing Shandong’s diversification beyond traditional manufacturing and logistics into the global entertainment economy.
The event, a PR Newswire report, successfully highlighted the combination of high-tech digitalization, export orientation and global integration, and cultural-industrial innovation that these enterprises in Shandong exhibit. They collectively underscored Shandong’s role in China’s broader foreign trade growth, economic resilience, and strategic participation in global value chains.
The event at China Movie Metropolis demonstrated the practices of multinational enterprises in the creative industry development, showcasing how technology is used in the global entertainment economy. In the realm of finance and business, international shipping companies benefit from Qingdao Port's cutting-edge automation and digitalization, enhancing its market reach and supporting global trade initiatives.
