Zhongguancun

Global partners key to further hi-tech growth

Updated: 2010-03-04 16:09

BEIJING . Known as China's “Silicon Valley”, Zhongguancun in northwestern Beijing is famed as a technological hub, but it still needs international cooperation to become a model park with global influence, said Zhao Fengtong, Party secretary of Haidian district.

Zhao is also a standing member of the Beijing Committee of the Communist Party of China and Party secretary of the administrative committee of Zhongguancun Science Park.

A double-helix DNA sculpture called simply Life is the symbol of Zhongguancun.

Synonymous with technological innovation in China, the hi-tech area of Beijing is home to several world famous computer companies as well as technology research institutions and universities. In addition to a number of sprawling science parks, its streets are lined with shops and markets selling electronic goods.

The Zhongguancun Science Park was recognized as a national innovation model park by the State Council last March, which includes the Haidian Science Park — the core park — and a number of industrial zones and parks outside of the Haidian district.

“Improvement of the Zhongguancun innovation model park will provide a better base for local enterprises. It will make it a more exciting place to visit for people in Beijing and will help the country to improve its innovation capacities,” said Zhao.

“We’d like to encourage international cooperation in this process. This way we can learn from the intelligence and experiences of experts, industry insiders and other science parks in the rest of the world to help us plan, design, construct and operate the Zhongguancun Science Park as well as we can,” he added.

Over the past 20 years the Zhongguancun Science Park has formed links and partnerships with other science parks around the world and international companies. “We have benefited a lot from their experience,” said Zhao.

Before the current park was established, the area was the Beijing New Technology Industrial Development and Experimental Zone. In his role as vice–director of the zone, Zhao attended the International Association of Science Park’s (IASP) annual conference in Canada in 1993.

A milestone in cooperation between Zhongguancun and international science parks was reached in 1995 when an IASP conference was held in Beijing.