Zhuhai National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Tangjiawan) aims to join the top echelon of national hi-tech zones in the next three to five years, officials announced during Tangjiawan's Industrial Development Conference on May 16.

The Hi-Tech Zone will firmly adhere to the principle of "industry first" and give priority to the development of the manufacturing industry, striving to achieve annual operating revenue of over 150 billion yuan ($22 billion) and total industrial output value of more than 100 billion yuan ($15 billion) in the next three years. A long-term goal of achieving industrial output value of over 500 billion yuan ($74 billion) is also set.

The Zhuhai National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Tangjiawan) Industrial Development Conference is held on May 16 [Photo by Wu Changfu / Zhuhai Daily]

Tangjiawan also aims to house over 30 listed, 1,000 hi-tech, and 1,000 sci-tech small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as more than 1,200 talents at or above the municipal level by 2025.

Eight key projects were laid out during the conference, namely Shenzhen-Zhuhai cooperation, agglomeration of emerging industries, university and talent attraction, sci-tech innovation, increase in industrial land lots, quality improvement of industrial parks, industry-city integration, and business environment optimization. 

Representatives of key projects that will settle in Tangjiawan in May signed contracts during the conference. They not only cover the three frontier industries of semiconductors and integrated circuits, information and innovation industry, as well as artificial intelligence and robotics, but also include the three local distinctive industries of biomedicine and medical devices, new energy and smart grids, and digital economy.  

By now, 153 industrial projects with a single investment of over 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) have been introduced to Tangjiawan this year, while over 100 projects are currently under negotiation with total investment volume exceeding 40 billion yuan ($6 billion). 

Of note, Tangjiawan now ranks first citywide in terms of the investment progress of local provincial and municipal projects, completing 5.45 billion yuan ($804.4 million) in investment for 75 projects, which accounts for 32 percent of the annual target. Seventeen others are scheduled to start construction in 2022, among which 10 have already commenced construction in the first quarter of the year. 

Tangjiawan signed strategic cooperation agreements on sci-tech finance with financial institutes like Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, Bank of Communications, as well as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to provide financial support for key projects. 

In addition, the zone inked strategic cooperation agreements with Zhuhai Hi-tech Construction Investment and Huafa Hi-tech Construction. A total of 26.56 billion yuan ($3.92 billion) will be allocated to building a 2-million-sqm (494-acre) new area featuring industry-city integration, as well as renovating or expanding 1-million-sqm (247-acre) in old and inefficient factories.

Plaques for four postdoc work stations and four public technological service platforms were unveiled at the event, while subsidies and certificates were issued for outstanding incubators, enterprises, and talents. 

Tangjiawan's GDP in the first quarter of the year increased by 6 percent year-on-year to 9.15 billion yuan ($1.35 billion) and its industrial output volume above designated size increased by 15.6 percent year-on-year to 10.49 billion yuan ($1.55 billion). The added-value of its hi-tech manufacturing and advanced manufacturing industries accounted for 68 percent and 75.1 percent respectively of zone's total added value of industries above designated size during the January-March period of 2022.