The Blue Economy is an area of high-tech research and high technology industry which features ocean. Marine science and technology, education, culture and high-tech industry interpenetrates with one another; basic oceanographic research, applied economic research and the ocean-based economic research are joined together; academic exchanges at home and abroad, business contacts, and economic and trade cooperation have been combined. The ocean-based R&D area is a R&D center for marine science and technology, and an incubation center for scientific research achievements, as well as a gathering center for scientific research talents.

In April and October of 2009, Chairman Hu Jintao made two inspections in Shandong province. He pointed out to develop and construct an ocean-based economic zone in Shandong peninsula. In January, 2011, the State Council approved the Development Planning of Ocean-based Economic Zone in Shandong Peninsula through the No 1 document, 2011, marking the economic zone a national strategy. It is the first regional development strategy that is themed with marine economy since the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011-15). The ocean-based economic zone in Shandong peninsula is committed to develop the marine economy, marine resources, and cultivating marine advantage industry.

In 2011, Qingdao municipal government sticks to "plan the future with world vision, improve working with international standards, and display characteristics through local advantages"; to take the commanding heights of national economic development; to take the lead in putting forward the strategic ideas of building China's ocean-based Silicon Valley; and give full play to the advantages of Qingdao's concentrated marine agencies and intense talents of marine research and development, in order to speed up science and technology innovation of key areas, and position itself in the frontier of Marine industry.

On Febeuary17, 2012, Qingdao government published the Development Planning of Qingdao Ocean-based Silicon Valley, planning the overall layout of "one area, one district and one park". One area is namely Ocean-based R&D Core Area, including Aoshanwei town of the city of Moshi, and Wen Quan town, covering a total area of 443 square kilometers, among which the land area is 218, sea area is 225 square kilometers, 116 villages in all and the population is 1029,000.

The ocean-based R&D core area carries out the "one district, four valleys" layout. Here the "district" refers to the tourism area along the coast."Four valleys" refers to Phoenix mountain valley that specialized scientific innovation, Daran river CBD center valley of commercial office, hot spring river valley of leisures, and Gaoyu river valley of science and tourism.