In Liaocheng, a city in East China’s Shandong province, local companies are adopting innovative approaches to revitalize traditional industries, integrating green development and technology to boost efficiency and appeal to new consumer groups.

Xinfa Group, a major industrial conglomerate operating in aluminum, energy, and chemicals, has extended its technological expertise to modern agriculture. At its agricultural industrial park in Chiping district, the company utilizes waste heat and captured carbon dioxide from its industrial plants to cultivate cherries, strawberries, and largemouth bass within controlled greenhouse environments. These resources help maintain optimal growing conditions, reduce energy consumption, and allow production beyond typical seasonal limits.

Founder Zhang Xuexin reported that annual yields at the agricultural park exceed 500,000 kilograms each for cherries and strawberries, with largemouth bass output also surpassing 500,000 kilograms. A recently established rabbit breeding operation aims to reach an annual production capacity of 16 million rabbits. Xinfa is applying circular economy principles by recycling waste products within the farm’s ecosystem. Soil fertilizer is produced from rabbit waste, fish farming nutrients support irrigation, and pruned plant material is fermented to generate additional fertilizer, according to Pan Xingyang, president of Xinfa’s agricultural division.

Meanwhile, Liaocheng-based Dong’e Ejiao Co, the country’s leading donkey-hide gelatin manufacturer by sales, is innovating to engage younger consumers with the traditional tonic’s health benefits. Historically popular among middle-aged and elderly consumers and exchanged as holiday gifts, ejiao products are increasingly attracting buyers under 30, particularly on e-commerce platforms where they constitute approximately 80 percent of customers. Retail sales also show that younger demographics now make up about 30 percent of consumers.

To tap into evolving market trends, Dong’e Ejiao has introduced smaller, convenient ready-to-consume products and diversified into health-conscious snacks and beverages. Its instant ejiao powder, sold in individual sachets designed to be mixed with milk tea, coffee, or yogurt, has seen strong uptake among the youth segment, with nearly 70 percent of purchases coming from consumers under 30, said Zhang Qingwei, president of the company’s culture and tourism division.

These developments highlight how firms in Liaocheng are leveraging technological integration and product innovation to transform traditional industries, expand consumer bases, and promote sustainable growth in line with broader green development goals.