SHIJIAZHUANG, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology, biotechnology and low-altitude economy are among an array of cutting-edge technologies spanning diverse fields that help animate a major industrial park in the Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province.
The Xiong'an New Area, located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, was established on April 1, 2017, to relieve Beijing of non-essential functions related to its status as the nation's capital. The emerging modern city is now positioned to become a pioneering innovation hub and a model of promoting high-quality development.
Wang Shiyuan, president of Victory Traffic Science and Technology Co., Ltd., believes he made the right decision by relocating his company to the new area in 2020.
Having sold smart traffic signal systems and other intelligent transportation products to over 10 countries worldwide, including the United States, Germany and Mexico, the entrepreneur said the Xiong'an New Area itself serves as a powerful calling card for his business.
"Last year, I took my clients from Central Asian countries to the new area, as they were all aware of its high national standing," he said. "When they learned that my company's products had already been deployed in Xiong'an, they immediately gained greater confidence in our technology."
The appeal of Xiong'an, however, goes even further. According to Wang, the industrial cluster effect in the new area has helped his company reduce costs by 15 percent, as Xiong'an has brought together a host of enterprises in electronic information, intelligent transportation and AI.
"Whenever I need something, such as a software upgrade, I simply post the request in an online chat group that connects several hundred firms in the new area's Zhongguancun Science Park," he said. "Within minutes, someone will reply and help me out. And in some cases, the services are provided entirely free of charge."
The handy and even free services stem from a unique rapport among the companies that transcends conventional business ties. Wang, a keen long-distance runner, frequently joins running events in the new area with his business partners. "We all find it very relaxed and enjoy exchanging technical and business ideas during these activities. We are friends, rather than just business associates," he said.
The park also offers a coffee house and other platforms to facilitate exchanges and communication among the companies. "We have come to regard the park as a home for our enterprises and technicians," Wang said.
As a key pillar of the new area's industrial clusters, the Zhongguancun Science Park, covering an operating area of 207,000 square meters, has attracted 284 tech companies, as well as more than 3,000 outstanding scholars and researchers, some of whom have been selected for the "Hundred Talents Program" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In addition to the science park, Xiong'an offers multiple platforms that serve distinct yet complementary functions to better support the enterprises. For Yang Yunjie, operations manager of a local innovation center's pilot base, these platforms, including research institutes, industrial parks and innovation centers, span the full spectrum from laboratory research to large-scale industrialization.
"Our pilot base, for instance, acts as a bridge between lab research and industrial production," he said. "By conducting trial productions, we help companies validate their production processes and refine their products, ultimately enabling them to create goods that better meet market demand."
Liu Jun, vice president of Topsec, one of the earliest listed cybersecurity enterprises in China, said the company came to Xiong'an to find new vitality and growth points.
"Since Xiong'an is a role model of future digital cities, we believe it will offer us more development opportunities," he said. "Our technology and products can achieve greater breakthroughs in this cutting-edge smart city."
"Xiong'an aims to cultivate five enterprises with an annual revenue of over 10 billion yuan (about 1.47 billion U.S. dollars), 10 enterprises with an annual revenue of over 5 billion yuan, and 100 core backbone enterprises within three years, while transforming itself into a new landmark for the integration and innovation of AI and future cities," said Zhang Yingjie, deputy director of the bureau of industry, information technology, science, technology and data of the Xiong'an New Area. ■
