News

Haidian Science Park eyes future

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-14 08:05

The Zhongguancun Business Initiation Center. Photos provided to China Daily

Editor's note:

Haidian Science Park (HSP) was listed as a national innovation model park last year. HSP entrepreneurs recently attended a forum in Tianjin, where reporter Jiang Jingjing interviewed Haidian District Deputy Director Yang Zhiqiang.

Q: 2010 marks the end of Haidian's most recent five-year development plan. Concerning economic restructuring, what will Haidian district officials and HSP developers focus on over the next five years?

Model of Zhongguancun's logo. The area is known as China's silicon valley.

A: The economic restructuring of Haidian focuses on enhancing advantageous industries, fostering strategically emerging industries, strengthening the service industry, upgrading resource-reliant industries and eliminating disadvantageous industries.

First, to enhance advantageous industries, Haidian will make full use of its strengths in technology, culture and education. It will encourage the development of IT services, advanced manufacturing and other leading industries.

The goal is to improve the overall technical level of industry, to gain an edge in international competition and to achieve joint development on a higher level.

Second, Haidian will set up environmentally friendly industries using new materials and new types of energy. It will also establish aerospace, bioengineering and pharmaceutical industries.

Third, in order to obtain both economic and social benefits, our district will stress development of commercial, tourism, and other service industries. We wish to meet people's needs, boost economic growth, and perfect the city's service functions.

We need to guarantee modest progress in resource-reliant industries. Under the principle of sustainable development, Haidian will see to it that adequate environmental protections are put in place.

Thus, we favor moderate development of the real estate industry, modern agriculture and other resource-reliant industries, promoting an economical and environmental-friendly society.

We will strive to meet global standards. Our district will seek cooperation with international societies in network building, policies, capital flow and media coverage in order to promote restructuring of emerging industries and ensure sustained innovative development.

Q: As the nation's first high-tech zone, HSP has experienced more than two decades of reform and innovation. How was development achieved during this period, and which industries have proved most advantageous?

A: HSP attaches great importance to the positive impact of research and innovation on the development of industries.

High-end industries like information services and cultural and creative industries have blossomed in the park.

Meanwhile, industries concerning new materials, new energies, biomedicines and low resource consumption have had the most rapid development.

HSP is the nation's most important computer industry cluster and the biggest market for information products.

The income of the integrated circuit industry in the park accounts for over half of the total around Beijing, Tianjin and the Bohai rim region.

The income of cultural and creative industries also amounts to half of the total in Beijing. Software industry revenue accounts for 20 percent of the nation's total.

HSP is touted as the most creative area in the nation. Its innovative achievements include the Dawning 5000 Super Performance Computer and the SARS inactivated vaccine.

Some technology developed by enterprises in the park has already been applied to Shenzhou V, VI and VII Spacecraft and Chang'e 1 lunar probe. The Beijing Olympic Games and Shanghai Expo have also benefited from the park.

HSP enterprises have won numerous awards. The Xingguang Digital Multimedia Chip was the laurel winner of the National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology.

In 2009, turnover of technical contracts in HSP accounted for over half of the city's total.

Q: Human resources are central to successful industrial transformation. Can you tell us about employees of the park?

A: HSP has nearly 503,000 employees. Around 10 percent are managers of hi-tech enterprises, 47 percent are researchers and 19 percent are marketing personnel.

Research and development workforces are central to high-tech industries, accounting for 75 percent of all employees in the creative and integrated circuit industries.

The team at HSP is young and vigorous, with an average age of 40 among managers, and 30 among researchers and marketers.

Most workers have higher education. Around 17.5 percent hold a master's degree or PhD, and 45 percent possess a bachelor's degree.

Therefore, HSP has become the nation's strategic base for applied research, and represents China's innovation capabilities.

Apart from cultivating local intellectuals, we want to heighten search efforts for top personnel. We are continuing to build post-doctoral work stations to attract talent.

Thanks to the cooperation of nearly 30 top universities and research institutions, HSP has established 37 work stations, hiring 110 post graduates with an average age of 32.

Such talents have been members or leaders of 88 research projects at the provincial level, bringing in a fiscal revenue of 1.7 billion yuan.

They are also active patent holders and authors of prestigious global journals. HSP post-doctoral work stations were named high-class research centers by the former Ministry of Personnel and National Administrative Committee of Post-Doctoral Researchers in 2005.

As an incubator of hi-tech enterprises, HSP will go on hiring talents.

By the end of January 2010, the park had attracted 3,552 intellectuals who had once studied abroad, incubating 814 enterprises.

With the help of a one-stop employment service, exchange of world talents is available at the park.

We hope that international organizations like IEEE-CS, or the IEEE Computer Society - the world's leading membership organization for computing professionals - will set up office here.

Preferential policies and capital will also cater to the need of innovative talents at high levels all around the world.

Our efforts have paid off. Many intellectuals working at HSP have obtained support from the Beijing municipal government as well as the State government.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/14/2010)