In the morning light of Rongcheng Port, batches of fresh squid are unloaded from refrigerated trucks, beginning their journey from ocean to table. At 37° North Latitude in the azure waters, a profound dialogue between the bounty of the ocean and industrial civilization is unfolding. As the "Squid Capital of China," accounting for half of the nation's squid processing volume, Rongcheng leverages its unique geographical advantages and continuous technological innovation to build a full industrial chain ecosystem, from raw material refinement to value enhancement, making the humble squid a vivid example of the transformation and upgrading of the marine economy.

        Source Quality Control: A Freshness Revolution from Sea to Factory

        Located at the easternmost tip of the Shandong Peninsula, Rongcheng's unique three-sided sea terrain creates an ideal marine ranch. The water temperature here remains around 12℃ year-round, with moderate salinity and rich minerals, providing a natural growth cradle for squid. Every summer and autumn, squid schools migrate here along ocean currents, forming a spectacular "sea granary." Rongcheng has become the largest squid processing base in China and even Asia, with its products not only selling well domestically but also exported to overseas markets, becoming a shining "marine food business card."

        Each batch of catch must pass multiple screenings based on factors such as body fullness and tenderness. Only raw materials meeting the standards can enter the pre-processing workshop. This strict source control mechanism ensures the natural quality of squid raw materials, laying the "freshness foundation" for subsequent processing. In the pre-processing workshop of Shandong Lanrun Hailong Food Co., Ltd., workers cooperate with intelligent sorting equipment to complete the initial screening and cleaning of squid in a timely manner, allowing the deep-sea flavor to enter the processing stage in optimal condition.

        Intelligent Processing: Technology Reshapes Seafood Production Paradigm

        Entering the squid processing workshop of Shandong Lanrun Hailong Food Co., Ltd., the intelligent production line, consisting of a carbon dioxide freezing system and a full set of Japanese-made processing equipment, showcases the integration of modern industry and marine ingredients. This assembly-line processing technology covers multiple precise processes, achieving transformation from raw materials to finished products through a fully automated packaging system and intelligent drying equipment. In the workshop with precise temperature and humidity control, modern equipment and skilled workers cooperate to finely process squid into uniform squid rings, frozen squid fillets, and other basic products.

        In the face of diversified consumer demand, Rongcheng's squid industry has built a product system covering all scenarios: In the leisure food sector, spicy squid tentacles and spicy squid strips have become new favorites among young consumers; in the pre-made dish market, deep-processed products such as Tangyang squid tentacles and breaded squid rings provide convenient solutions for home cooking; frozen seafood products such as original squid and squid three treasures meet different storage needs.

Full-Chain Collaboration: Ecological Advancement of Industrial Clusters

Rongcheng's squid industry cluster, centered around Shi Island Port, has achieved full-element integration from processing to distribution. The supporting international cold chain logistics center and food storage, transportation, and sales network allow squid products to quickly reach domestic and international markets through the "origin direct supply" model. The customs reforms implemented by Rongcheng Customs, such as "advance declaration" and "two-step declaration," have compressed cargo clearance time, creating an efficient trade channel for export enterprises. Collaborative innovation among processing enterprises, logistics service providers, and research institutions within the industrial cluster has formed an industrial ecosystem of resource sharing and complementary advantages. The full-chain integration model not only reduces enterprise operating costs but also promotes innovation and upgrading of the entire industry through technological spillover effects.

Future Vision: Upgrading from Culinary Delights to Strategic Resources

When consumers open a package of squid strips, few realize that behind it lies a complex industrial system involving marine ecology, biotechnology, and materials science. Rongcheng's squid industry exploration is redefining the development model of marine resources—from simple ingredient fishing to achieving high-value utilization of all resources through technological empowerment. Currently, the potential of squid biological products in medicine, environmental protection, and intelligent materials has been initially revealed, and in the future, it will expand to cutting-edge fields such as precision medicine and biomanufacturing, driving the marine economy to transform from "resource dependence" to "innovation-driven."

Standing at Shi Island Port and looking out, the maritime golden thread that has traversed millennia is being reborn in the hands of the people of Rongcheng. From primitive fishing to intelligent manufacturing, from culinary delights to health technology, the evolutionary history of Rongcheng squid is a vivid epitome of the high-quality development of China's marine economy. When the warmth of technology meets the depth of the ocean, this industrial miracle on the azure waters continues to write new chapters. (Sun Yan)