Handan Economic and Technological Development Zone, founded in September 2000 approved by the provincial government of Hebei, was upgraded to a state-level development zone in October 2013.
The zone houses 11 industrial bases, such as the state-level new material industrial base, and the national new-type industrialization demonstration base.
It has developed three pillar industries – the new material, high-end equipment manufacturing and white household appliances industries, and is striving to develop the three emerging industries – the intelligent manufacturing, life science, and electronic information industries.
From January to September of 2016, the zone's GDP reached 21.7 billion yuan ($3.14 billion), up 9.3 percent year-on-year; the fiscal revenue was 1.175 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.9 percent. A total of 16 major projects were signed in 2016, including three foreign-funded ones, with a total investment of 19 billion yuan.
By focusing on the supply-side structural reform and the investment attraction, the zone will further build an advanced manufacturing industrial base, a modern productive service industrial base, a science and technology new town and a new ecological town in the eastern part of Handan, and thus develop itself into a first-rate national development zone.
It will also strive to achieve its goal of exceeding 100 billion yuan in the industrial output value during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period.