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Science park transforms into tech innovation hub [China Daily: Hong Kong Edition](China Daily: Hong Kong Edition Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) More than 160 overseas Chinese academicians and experts from 17 countries including the United States and Canada visited the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center and business incubators for returned Chinese professionals in late September to see the world-leading technologies and innovative working environment. On a tour of the center at the same time last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the Zhongguancun Science Park had become a banner for China's innovation and technological development and should play a better leading role in promoting the implementation of a national innovation-driven development strategy. With the central government backing to build Zhongguancun into a technology innovation hub with global influence, local authorities explored a series of new policies and practices, said Yang Jianhua, deputy head of the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee. The park undertook new pilot projects that mainly focused on six aspects. The People's Bank of China, for example, was approved to establish a new branch in the park to handle foreign exchange-related issues, he said. The administrative committee launched more than 10 policies that involved government funds management, transformation of major scientific and technological achievements by universities and research institutes and government procurement of products with latest technologies. Yang said that Zhongguancun companies made major breakthroughs in fields such as fourth-generation mobile communication and mobile Internet, the application of Beidou Navigation Satellite System and biomedical and health-related research. Companies in the park participated in the creation of 144 international standards and about 2,800 national standards. Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group took the lead to make TD-LTE communication standards. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation established a production line for 12-inch 28-32 nanometer chips, which was expected to reduce China's dependence on imports. Promising high-tech companies in Zhongguancun were commonplace and many are among industrial giants with annual sales revenues approaching 100 billion yuan ($16.3 billion). Last year, Zhongguancun disclosed 14 large overseas procurements. Lenovo Beijing spent more than $2.9 billion to purchase Motorola's smart phone business and Hanergy Holding bought MiaSole, a California producer of thin-film solar panels. Companies including smartphone maker Xiaomi, video portal Letv and IT service provider Yonyou set up a total of 562 overseas branches to absorb and transform the world cutting-edge technologies. The park built cooperation centers with Finnish and Israeli counterparts to promote international transfer of advanced technologies. Yang said they also encouraged local companies to introduce foreign experts. Xiaomi, for instance, employed Hugo Barra, the former vice president of the Android mobile operating system for Google Inc, last year to lead its international business development. Leading Chinese Internet company Baidu also named Andrew Ng, one of the most authoritative scholars in the artificial intelligence sector, the chief scientist in its lab in Silicon Valley. "Xiaomi Corp in Zhongguancun was never a simple cell phone manufacturer, but integrates services of software, hardware and mobile Internet to achieve rapid growth," said Guo Hong, director of the park's administrative committee. The company's sales income exceeded 10 billion yuan in the three years since it was established, and is expected to reach 70 billion yuan this year, Guo said. After 26 years of development Zhongguancun is now home to more than 20,000 high-tech companies, according to the director. Last year their combined sales revenue increased 22 percent to more than 3 trillion yuan, which accounted for 14 percent of the total in 115 State-level high-tech zones nationwide. The park houses 240 listed companies, including 94 that are listed abroad. Guo said Zhongguancun's current economic structure presents a series of new features. Big data and Internet technologies are pushing industrial upgrades and transformation. For example, Baidu has changed the way people get information, retail portal Jingdong Mall optimized the traditional retail sector and travel website Qunar allows people to travel more conveniently, he said. Innovation in both technology and business modes constantly creates new service sectors that are flourishing in the park, such as the emerging e-finance, vehicle networking, intelligent medical services and smart home sectors, Guo noted. "Next, we will focus on supporting innovation by grassroots people with more preferential policies," he said. [email protected] Home to more than 20,000 high-tech companies in Beijing, the Zhongguancun Science Park puts an emphasis on both technology and business modes. Photos Provided to China Daily (China Daily 10/20/2014 page7) (c) 2014 China Daily Information Company. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |