GLOBALink | China's major agricultural province becomes sci-tech innovation hub
HEFEI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Anhui, a major agricultural province in eastern China, is becoming a scientific and technological innovation hub.
An innovation "valley" will be built in Hefei, capital of Anhui to attract global talents and funds with the help of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).
Dubbed "the Silicon Valley of USTC," it will focus on the transformation of innovative achievements, the incubation of innovative enterprises, and the optimization of innovation mechanisms.
By 2025, the "valley" is expected to gather more than 100,000 high-skilled individuals and 1,000 high-tech enterprises.
Over the past decade, a number of world-class sci-tech breakthroughs have been achieved in Anhui in fields such as quantum technologies, nuclear fusion energy, and artificial intelligence.
Data show that the number of new high-tech enterprises in Anhui has grown to 11,368 in 2021 from 1,742 in 2012, making a significant contribution to the province's economic growth.
Anhui has rolled out a slew of measures to promote the commercialization of scientific findings since 2012, including offering government funds for emerging industries and cultivating technology managers.
Han Dongcheng, a young entrepreneur who started a company named Easpeed on aerial imaging technology, said his company saved millions of yuan in rent last year thanks to local government's favorable policies.
"Anhui needs to accelerate its integration into the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and achieve leapfrog development. The key lies in innovation. We need to further consolidate the foundation of innovation, accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and speed up the cultivation of emerging industries," Han said.
A number of emerging high-tech enterprises and industry clusters, for example, the integrated circuit and new energy vehicle industries, have taken root and sprouted in Anhui, creating great value for the province.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
