Hebei emerges as global sci-tech hub during 14th Five-Year Plan period

Hebei province made notable progress in sci-tech innovation during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–25) period, providing strong momentum for regional development and international cooperation, senior officials said on Thursday.

A news conference held by the Information Office of the Hebei Provincial People's Government highlighted that the province's R&D spending reached 96.78 billion yuan ($13.59 billion) in 2024, ranking 13th nationally and marking a 52.5 percent increase from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period. The value of technology contracts hit 197.14 billion yuan, 3.53 times that at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period.

Hebei fostered over 15,000 national high-tech enterprises and more than 127,000 provincial-level sci-tech SMEs. Five local firms were listed as global unicorns this year.

The province's integration with neighboring Beijing and Tianjin further deepened, with Hebei absorbing 75.53 billion yuan worth of technology contracts from Beijing in 2024, ranking first nationwide.

The Xiong'an New Area emerged as an innovation hub, hosting over 200 enterprises in its Zhongguancun Science Park and attracting foreign talent through streamlined services.

Notable breakthroughs included the world's first RISC-V kernel super SIM chip by Xiong'an XinSheng Technology and the globe-leading hydrogen metallurgy projects by HBIS Group.

The province's international collaboration also expanded, with China-Serbia and China-Brazil joint laboratories established.

These achievements highlight Hebei's growing role in global sci-tech cooperation, showcasing its open approach to driving high-quality development through innovation, authorities said at the news conference.