Swimmers and tourists need fear no more. The coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province, has a new high-tech device in the fight against the plague of green algae that has ravaged the city's seas since 2007.

Qingdao has fought back against the annual infestation of algae, also known as enteromorpha, or sea lettuce, with the device, which has been installed at both the city's No 2 Bathing Beach and Olympic Sailing Center to prevent the algae reaching swimmers. The device is just one of several innovations developed by companies in Qingdao's Shinan district.

Researchers at the company that developed the device, Qingdao Houke Information Engineering, said they spent three years studying the algae's growth mechanisms and the direction of its flow, as well as tide speeds and heights, to plan an effective intervention.

The company also developed an automatic warning system to detect underground pipelines. Through global positioning and geographical information systems, the device can display images through virtual reality technology which helps to avoid fracturing pipelines during the construction of new roads. The system was awarded a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva in 2015.

Another high-tech company located in the district, Qingdao Shengteng Energy Saving Technology, developed an emissions reduction and energy-saving device for diesel vehicles.

The device is the first of its kind in the world featuring the combination of ozone, long-range infrared and nanometer technology, according to Tian Wenliang, general manager of the company.

The device has 18 patents, and uses advanced parts from leading domestic and foreign enterprises, Tian said.

The stories of these two innovative high-tech companies offer a perfect illustration of how Shinan district is cultivating such groundbreaking enterprises. It is home to 49 high-tech enterprises, five national laboratories and 15 national maker spaces.

Shinan is the economic and political center of Qingdao, according to Wang Jiujun, Party chief of the district.

As the city's smallest district, Shinan covers an area of 30 square kilometers, almost one-seventieth of Huangdao, the city's largest district.

"Developing a real economy in such a small area is not an easy task," Wang said. "We are determined to cultivate innovative small technology companies to ensure that we take a market-leading position."

chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/26/2017 page12)