Zhejiang aims high with digital development

Products for wireless connection are on exhibit at 2018 Computing Conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

East China's Zhejiang, determined to reinforce digital development, announced a plan to make breakthroughs in the construction of a digital province by 2022 at a news conference in the capital city, Hangzhou, Jan 14.

China's first information economy demonstration area, Zhejiang has been leading the country in developing a digital economy in recent years.

This time, it proposed that, with scientific and technological innovation as the key driving force, Zhejiang will intensify research into big data and internet technologies, and boost digitalization in government affairs, the economy and social affairs.

Over the following three years, Zhejiang hopes to give full play to the creativity of every industry and gather strengths to create a major blueprint for digital transformation, officials explained at the conference.

For digital technologies, the province is aiming to make breakthroughs in basic theories, general technologies, key technologies, and software and hardware. It is also striving to keep up with the world's most advanced research.

Zhejiang will work to boost the in-depth and integrated development of "internet plus" technologies, big data, artificial intelligence and real economy to promote the development of the digital economy. The province set the goal of achieving an aggregate of over 4 trillion yuan ($592.08 billion) in the digital economy by 2022 with a proportion of more than 55 percent of the province's GDP.

Digital technologies will also be used to improve the efficiency of government services. Zhejiang aims to make it possible within three years that 80 percent of the public's administrative affairs can be dealt with on mobile devices.

Social issues, including healthcare, public security, education and transport, are also included in Zhejiang's digitalization. By 2022, the province plans to make life more convenient for people by building full-coverage service networks.

Officials from the provincial government also said that cloud computing, mobile internet and big data technologies will be further improved and applied in the development of Zhejiang's infrastructure with the aim of bettering social governance and facilitating people's livelihoods.

A staff member at a government service center in Zhejiang province handles a matter with the help of a robot. [Photo/IC]