City's district making a global impression in realms of technology, medicine and education

Haicang district in Xiamen, Fujian province, has built itself into a world-class area for economic development and innovation. To do this it has made remarkable efforts to introduce talented people into sectors ranging from integrated circuit, biological medicine to education, said experts.

Wang Huilian, general manager of Xiamen Semiconductor Investment Group, is one of those professionals. He played a vital role in boosting the growth of the integrated circuit industry in Haicang.

He previously worked as the director for the industrial promotion center at the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Wang tried to offer all-round support for the local development of the semiconductor sector through industrial planning, sharing resources and launching projects.

"The semiconductor industry has very high standards for assets, technologies and talented people. Although the government is leading the construction of industrial parks and offering enterprises favorable policies in land, tax and capital, it is still hard to make up for the shortcomings in technology and talent," said Wang.

He added that the integrated circuit industry in Haicang is "unique" in its mechanism, projects and operation.

"To improve efficiency and management, we have attracted a batch of professionals who are familiar with the industry. The integrated circuit industry in Haicang is gradually gaining advantages through key projects and business activities such as mergers and acquisitions."

Since 2018, Haicang has introduced five major integrated circuit projects in the manufacturing of 12-inch chips, 4-to 6-inch compound chips and hard and soft carrier boards. The total investment is worth more than 30 billion yuan ($4.19 billion).

The Haicang base, a national industrial zone for the design of the integrated circuit, is home to more than 30 enterprises with 400 employees specialized in the integrated circuit design sector.

Wang said that Haicang is focusing on the development of product-oriented technology, advanced package and testing as well as the design of the integrated circuit.

"The district is also speeding up its efforts in the research and development of tailor-made products for the market to maintain a sustainable cycle for the industry."

Over the past three years, Haicang has become one of the most popular districts for China's integrated circuit industry.

This is done through its unique development model that combines government resources and market forces.

Su Yue is deputy head of the China National Center for Biotechnology Development at the Ministry of Science and Technology.

She is another professional who has brought rich resources and strong support to the development of the biomedicine industry in Haicang.

Su and her team planned for the biomedicine industry in aspects such as policy support and technologies.

She did this when working temporarily as the deputy head of the Haicang science and technology bureau.

"I gained a sense of accomplishment when I saw the achievements made in improving the local industry," she said.

Zhang Jing, from the Development Center for Medical Science and Technology at the National Health Commission, is also a pioneer in promoting the regional development of the biomedical industry as she concurrently serves as the deputy general manager of the Haifa group in Xiamen.

Zhang is encouraging local enterprises to construct a demonstration base of clinical evaluation technology for new anti-neoplastic drugs.

The project is in cooperation with The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University.

She has launched a series of projects, such as building a demonstration area of the clinical cure of hepatitis B and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma.

To date, Haicang district has signed strategic agreements with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health Commission to carry out research on development planning and implementation schemes of the biomedical industry.

In addition to attracting talented people into industrial sectors, Haicang is also paying attention to education.

Sun Mingyun, deputy head of the education bureau in Haicang, said that over the past two decades, the district has witnessed fast development of its education.

Since 2018, Haicang has introduced third-party institutions to assess education in schools.

The district is creating a model to cultivate young talent among primary schools and kindergartens.

It cooperates with prestigious universities, including the Beijing Normal University, Central China Normal University and Northeast Normal University, to improve the quality of teachers.

Su Yue (left) is a professional who has brought rich resources and strong support to the development of the biomedicine industry in Haicang. The industrial park for the design of integrated circuits. Wang Huilian, general manager of Xiamen Semiconductor Investment Group, plays a vital role in boosting the growth of the integrated circuit industry in Haicang.Photos Provided To China Daily

Students at the playground of a primary school in Haicang. The district is creating a model to cultivate young talent among primary schools and kindergartens.