Zhongguancun Science Park puts spotlight on latest innovation and entrepreneurship

This year's National Mass Innovation and Entrepreneurship Week was held at Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing from Oct 9 to 15, alongside a series of supplementary activities such as the Zhongguancun Innovation and Entrepreneurship Festival, and an innovation and entrepreneurship themed exhibition.

Organized by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Beijing government and the China Association for Science and Technology, the event celebrates Beijing's high-tech industry, emphasizing its achievements in innovation and entrepreneurship.

At the opening ceremony, the Zhongguancun administrative committee announced an innovation-boosting project, involving 27 "hardcore" science and technology incubation platforms.

From top: An endoscopic surgery robot showcases its flexible manipulator arms at the Beijing venue of the National Mass Innovation and Entrepreneurship Week, held from Oct 9 to 15. A robot pouring water catches the attention of young visitors at a themed exhibition during the event. Primary school students interact with a robot at the show. Photos by Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily

These incubation platforms established under the aegis of a wide range of bodies - universities, research institutes, State-owned enterprises, foreign-funded companies and private enterprises - are scattered across Changping, Fengtai, Fangshan, Daxing, Haidian and Huairou districts and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town.

The platforms will place more emphasis on the commercialization of research findings and breakthroughs, giving rise to innovation and a new generation of technologies - ranging from information technology, healthcare and intelligent equipment, to artificial intelligence, integrated circuits and new materials technologies.

Officials said the maximum annual support for each platform can reach 10 million yuan ($1.44 million), supporting their work in guiding investment and financing, "matchmaking" projects and information exchange.

In addition, Zhongguancun is also rolling out initiatives to support the development of more sub-parks.

Zhai Lixin, director of the science park's administrative committee, said that in the future, the Zhongguancun administrative committee will work closely with its sub-parks to enhance service capabilities by upgrading infrastructure and introducing more skilled personnel.

By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, the total revenue of companies in Zhongguancun reached 1.9 trillion yuan in the first half of 2017, according to Wang Yingjian, a member of the Party leadership group of the Beijing Commission of Development and Reform.

"It is significant that the 2018 National Mass Innovation and Entrepreneurship Week is being held when we have entered a critical period of transforming the old drivers of the economy into new ones," said Yin Yong, vice-mayor of Beijing.