As a traditional coal production area, Xintai City is rich in various solid waste resources, with an existing solid waste of 30 million tons. In order to promote the development of green, low-carbon and circular industries, the Xintai Municipal Government fully utilized the advantages of Shandong University in solid waste green material research and jointly established the Xintai Industrial Technology Research Institute of Shandong University in December 2018, creating a new "government industry university research" platform.

In terms of platform construction, Xintai City has scientifically planned to allocate 169 acres of land and construct five major research and development centers, committed to building them into centers for scientific research, technology application display, collaborative transformation, industrial promotion, and innovation services. At the same time, the government has introduced multiple policies to ensure the operation of the platform, including providing an annual funding support of 10 million yuan, providing high support for high-level talents, establishing talent recruitment funds and special funds for talent work, etc.

The research institute has achieved fruitful results in technology research and development, with the team publishing more than 150 related papers, authorizing/applying for more than 100 national invention patents, and 10 PCT international patents. We have established pilot laboratories and product testing lines, developed over 30 types of products, and achieved advanced technological achievements. By establishing collaborative innovation centers with universities and enterprises, the research institute has connected with 15 local enterprises and reached cooperation intentions with multiple external enterprises, effectively promoting the development of the solid waste resource utilization industry and achieving a win-win situation of economic, ecological, and social benefits.