Optics Valley marches forward with innovation, talent

A landmark of the Optics Valley of China is seen as the sun rises. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Lasers are a significant 20th-century invention for human beings, as they are considered as the fastest knife, the most precise ruler and the brightest light.

In Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, generations of light chasers started from zero and continue to explore the world of light, solving one technology bottleneck after another and lighting the city's path to high-quality development.

In the 1990s, the optoelectronic information industry, represented by optical fiber communications, was booming. In 2001, the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC) was approved to be established in Wuhan, demonstrating the city's resolve to develop the industry.

YOFC – based in Optics Valley of China – was founded in the 1980s, and brought in the world's most advanced preform manufacturing craftsmanship, which was a major breakthrough for the entire nation. However, at that time, all the needed raw materials and equipment had to be imported from foreign countries, hindering the high-quality development of the company. In 2001, YOFC set up its own R&D center, and began its independent research.

Now it has grown to become a world-leading optical fiber perform, optical fiber and optical cable manufacturer, as well as a comprehensive solution provider in its sector.

With support from the Hubei government, groups of optoelectronic information enterprises have thrived in OVC, which has now become the world's largest optical fiber and optical cable manufacturing base. The valley has also become China's biggest laser industrial base, its biggest optical device and equipment production base, and its biggest plant for the small, medium-sized and large displays.

By the end of 2021, the valley's "optics, IC, displays, terminal, network" industrial scale had reached 600 billion yuan ($87.12 billion).

In 2009, the valley initiated its 3551 talent plan, aiming to bring in and cultivate outstanding sci-tech talents, especially those in the optoelectronic information and high-end equipment manufacturing fields. The Optics Valley Talent Attraction Bureau was established in June 2017, and arranges special funds every year to support business promotion and talent attraction activities.

So far, OVC has been home to many Nobel Prize winners, over 70 domestic and overseas academicians, more than 3,000 high-end talents and some 7,000 talent teams. OVC has also registered about 100,000 young college graduates who are choosing to work or start businesses here every year.