Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Zone strengthens ties with Shanghai

The Fudan Hangzhou Bay High-tech and Innovation Park is officially unveiled on June 29, 2017, in Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Zone. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

The Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Zone recently welcomed projects in health and new materials from Shanghai's Fudan University, along with high-end talented professionals in these fields, increasing the zone's capacities in scientific development.

The Fudan Hangzhou Bay High-tech and Innovation Park is the only incubator set up by Fudan University in Zhejiang province. Opened at the end of June, the park has 20,000 square meters accommodating over 20 projects and has attracted more than 100 masters and other talents with backgrounds in foreign study.

The cooperation between the new zone and one of China's leading universities reflects Ningbo's active connection with Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta area, according to a zone official.

"We are enlarging our openness to the outside world by staying close with our neighbor Shanghai," the official said, adding that the zone is planning to introduce more Shanghai elements to boost the upgrading of its industrial structure.

Ningbo started to strengthen ties with Shanghai in June 2016. The municipal government strongly supported the Hangzhou Bay zone to build a cluster of companies from the Chinese metropolis. Since then, many Shanghai-based companies and institutions have established production bases in Ningbo.

Shanghai Volkswagen Co Ltd invested more than 19 billion yuan ($2.81 billion) in constructing a Ningbo base for car manufacturing this summer. By adopting new technologies, production efficiency and environmental protection will be promoted, which will contribute to a prosperous auto industry in the coastal city in Zhejiang.

Shanghai Greenland Group initiated a project in urban construction at the beginning of 2017, attracting more investments to the new zone at Hangzhou Bay.

Public services, vital in attracting talents to reside in the city, are also included in the list of cooperation programs between Ningbo and Shanghai. The management committee, Ningbo No 2 Hospital and Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine agreed to jointly develop the Hangzhou Bay Hospital into a leading high-end medical center in Ningbo and even eastern Zhejiang.

At the Ningbo production base of Shanghai Volkswagen Co Ltd, a car body can be assembled in 51 seconds with nation-leading work efficiency. [Photo/cyol.com]