Major projects in pipeline to grow innovation hub

Creating a world-leading innovation hot spot and building three strategic projects for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are two priorities of the Nanshan district this year, according to a recent government report.

Nanshan, in Shenzhen, a coastal city in China's Guangdong province, has led the nation in scientific and technological innovation for years. Its efforts to develop innovation industrial chains and improve the innovation environment were praised by the State Council last year.

"Nanshan provides stringent intellectual property rights protection. It also set up an IP protection center and encouraged 100 companies and 50 agencies from home and abroad to establish an IP alliance there," said Wang Qiang, Party chief of the district.

Last year's other achievements included a report about Nanshan's practice on how scientific innovation supports and leads development, which was added by the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs to its research topic collections last year; the inauguration of the Shenzhen Cyberspace Laboratory, one of the four labs approved by Guangdong province, which has so far employed three academicians, launched five projects and signed 14 research institutes; operation of the Airbus China Innovation Centre, the European aerospace giant's first innovation center in Asia and its second worldwide; the establishment of China's first rapid response team of national defense science and technology innovation; the introduction of high-end military and private companies; and the launch of an artificial intelligence education platform, together with SenseTime, a pure-play AI company.

On the construction of the greater bay area, Wang said it is not regional planning in the general sense, but a development strategy that encompasses opening-up, regional coordination and technological innovation under the "one country, two systems" arrangement.

The outline for the greater bay area, which was released on Feb 18, is expected to help other cities break their development bottlenecks and thrive amid fierce international competition, said Lin Nianxiu, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

The outline - with goals set for 2035 - also vows to increase Hong Kong and Macao residents' opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurship through stronger policy support.

Shenzhen, as a pioneering city in China's reform and opening-up over the past 40 years, is a key city in the bay area. Nanshan district must seize this major opportunity by participating in the regional construction in an all-around way, Wang noted.

The district has drawn up three projects - Xili Lake International Science and Education Zone, Shenzhen Bay Central Business District and Xili High-speed Train Zone - to build itself into a center of innovation and company headquarters, as well as a transportation hub in the bay area.

The Xili science and education zone, for example, is designed to promote cooperation and communication among schools, industrial parks and communities, covering an area of nearly 60 square kilometers. It also hopes to cooperate with the University of Hong Kong to set up a Shenzhen campus and encourages science companies at the zone to establish branches and regional research centers in Hong Kong.

In the government report, Wang said that Nanshan would achieve economic growth this year while ensuring stability and pursuing high-quality development.

To achieve this, the district plans to promote the real economy's integration with the internet, big data and artificial intelligence. It also aims to foster and strengthen emerging industries such as new-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, low carbon, marine economy, new materials, biomedicine and digital economy.

The development of cultural and creative industries, including creative design and digital publishing, will be further promoted in Nanshan, as will modern logistics and supply chain services by leveraging the opportunity of building Shenzhen into a global ocean city.

Moreover, Nanshan plans to launch more targeted initiatives to lower corporate costs, create a top-class business environment with high service efficiency, standardized management and dynamic markets. It will pour more resources into the fields of core chips, medical instruments, AI, robots and micro-nano materials and devices in the hope of making a series of major technological breakthroughs, Wang said.

Nanshan is working to become a world-class innovative and coastal hub. [Photo provided to China Daily]