The provincial government of Qingdao has announced the launching of the country’s first national-level lab considered to be one of the world's seven largest research laboratories for marine science and technology on April 16, Thursday, in Qingdao, a coastal city in the eastern province of Shandong, the Global Times reported.
According to the report, the Ministry of Science and Technology has approved the establishment of the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology in early 2014, which was built as a joint project by the city government of Qingdao and the provincial government of Shandong.
The report said that the lab research's team will be composed of scientists belonging to 11 marine-related organizations, including the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Ocean University of China.
Chen Yiyu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the laboratory, told the media that the new lab is expected to become one of the world's seven largest marine science research centers within 10 years.
The report said that the government has invested a total of 1.3 billion yuan ($200 million) in the new facility; the laboratory has an area of 150,000 square meters with eight main labs intended as the research areas of marine and climate change, sustainable use of marine biological resources, and evolution and protection of marine environments.
Chen Lianzeng, deputy head of the State Oceanic Administration, said that the laboratory will focus on providing cutting-edge research on marine science, which is expected to enhance international cooperation and scientific achievements that are expected to benefit many marine-related industries.