International zone is key to fresh drivers

The International Economic Cooperation Zone in the Qingdao West Coast New Area has become a primary platform in promoting the region's modern industrial system development, replacing old economic development drivers with new ones.

The zone, covering an area of 202 square kilometers, has carried out cooperation with countries including Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, France and South Korea, and aims to develop an intelligent manufacturing industrial cluster.

It has established a series of high-tech industrial parks, including the Sino-German Ecopark and China-Britain Innovation Industry Park, to strengthen communications and cooperation with the world's industrial leaders.

The Sino-German Ecopark is one of the most successful examples in the zone, according to local officials. Launched in 2011, it is a strategic cooperation park in China supported by both governments.

A large number of local intelligent manufacturing enterprises in the Sino-German Ecopark are strengthening their development by partnering with leading research and development institutions such as the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute.

A comprehensive modern industrial system, which covers new product development and commercialization, has been established in the zone. This will provide practical experience in supporting China's economic transition from high-speed growth to high-quality development, according to Zhao Shiyu, director of the Qingdao International Economic Cooperation Zone Management Committee.

"The zone is set to bring advanced technologies and production standards to China. It is positioned to be a platform for Qingdao to carry out innovation development and international cooperation," Zhao said.

"The zone is an R&D hub for businesses. It is also a powerhouse to support new products industrialization; we will ensure research results can be turned into real products smoothly in our cooperation zone."

The zone continuously introduces new industrial parks to strengthen international cooperation. On April 21, a Sino-Russian cooperation park was launched to promote economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges.

The Qingdao West Coast New Area has set up special support funds for the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. It is supporting technical innovation in the area and the promotion of its brand image, as well as encouraging the development of emerging industries.

A total of 152 enterprises have registered in the cooperation zone up to now, including more than 50 foreign investment projects and seven Fortune 500-listed companies, which involve investment of about 40 billion yuan ($6.24 billion).

High-end research and development institutes such as Qingdao Siemens Innovation Center and the Haier Industrial Intelligent Industry Research Institute were established in the cooperation zone.

Liu Huawei, an official in the Qingdao West Coast New Area, said the cooperation zone will continue to introduce innovative R&D institutions covering sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics, as well as advanced manufacturing enterprises.

The cooperation zone has worked with experts from many well-known universities in Germany, Denmark and Italy to jointly carry out the training plans of doctoral and postdoctoral students.

The Sino-German Ecopark in the Qingdao West Coast New Area plays a significant role in supporting Qingdao's development. YU FANGPING/FOR CHINA DAILY

A passive house technology center in the Sino-German Ecopark. A Passive house is a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, which reduces the building's ecological footprint. CHINA DAILY