Recently, the 10th National Congress of China Association for Science and Technology was hosted in Beijing. The Congress has announced the second batch of pilot cities (industrial parks) of “Innovation China” with Songshan Lake Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone being one of them.
“Innovation China” is a service brand created by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in innovation, entrepreneurship and creation, and is committed to building a technology service and transaction platform for integration of resources and alignment of supply and demand. Songshan Lake will, dependent on the platform and under the guidance of China Association for Science and Technology and Guangdong Association for Science and Technology and support of the CPC Dongguan Committee and the municipal government, work with Dongguan Association for Science and Technology to explore new trajectory for science and technology associations to serve development in all respects and promote technology innovation and industry upgrading of the industrial zone to accelerate building a new momentum system with Dongguan characteristics.
Songshan Lake Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone was elected as a pilot zone for “Innovation China”
Converging advantageous resources
Building a modern industrial system
Since its establishment in 2001, Songshan Lake has been upgraded into national high-tech industrial development from technology industrial park. The industrial zone is now constantly promoting transformation and upgrading of industrial structure and has gradually formed a “4+1” modern industrial system.
During the 13th “Five-Year Plan” period, Songshan Lake had greatly improved the new generation of electronic information industry, gave priority to development of robots and intelligent equipment industry, advanced biotech industry, accelerated development of new materials industry and actively nurtured and developed producer service industry to constantly extend industries to high end.
In 2020, the gross industrial output value of the industrial zone reached nearly 500 billion yuan. The new generation of electronic information industry has become a leading industry with certain influence. The electronic information industry cluster has become a pilot of digital transformation of Guangdong’s characteristic industry cluster.
Currently, advanced manufacturing industry and high-tech manufacturing industry of the industrial zone accounted for over 85%. The industrial zone is home to 133 enterprises with a business revenue of over 100 million yuan, 421 “four above enterprises” (industrial enterprises above designated size, qualified construction enterprises, enterprises above designated size of wholesale, retail, hotel and catering industry, service enterprise above designated size), 366 high-tech enterprises, 5 enterprises listed on A-share stock market and 31 enterprises reserved for going public.
Based on national strategy
Creating a whole-chain innovation system
Serving as important engine driving Dongguan’s technology innovation and development, Songshan Lake Science City was officially incorporated as a pilot zone of the comprehensive national science center in the Greater Bay Area in July 2020, emerging as a critical platform for Dongguan to participate in the construction of the International Center of Science and Innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
In terms of technology innovation, Songshan Lake boasts China’s first and the world’s fourth pulse spallation neutron source and Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, which is under construction in accordance with standards of national laboratory. In addition, the industrial zone has completed construction of 14 national incubators and 30 new type of research institutes. It is actively building a whole-chain innovation system featuring “source innovation-technology innovation-results transfer-enterprises nurturing”.
At present, the R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP reached 10.98% and 58% of enterprises above designated size own a research institute.
Songshan Lake will continue advancing formation of world-class major technology infrastructure cluster; in the meantime, it will accelerate construction of the City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) and the Greater Bay Area University (Songshan Lake Campus), providing fresh momentum for sharing of regional resources and innovative development.
Strengthening alignment of resources
Driving regional development
Following its election as a pilot zone of “Innovation China”, Songshan Lake and Dongguan Association for Science and Technology will make full use of advantageous resources of the platform and give priority to construction of Songshan Lake Science City, nurturing of new economy and new industry and cultivation of new enterprise innovation subjects. Efforts will be made to deploy strategic technology forces demanded by future technology and industrial development, enhance governance of technology, improve ecology for technology innovation and strengthen vitality for technology innovation.
Specifically, centering around demands in aspects such as projects roadshow, technology consultancy, technology services, results transfer and transformation and pooling of talents, efforts will be made to seek in-depth and precise alignment with China Association for Science and Technology, National Society and other relevant institutions, and actively facilitate transformation and settlement of a batch of organizations, talents, technologies, funds and other relevant resources. A batch of new type of synergy organizations such as cross-industry alliances and industry-university-research-application alliances to facilitate effective synergy of innovation chain, talent chain, industry chain and value chain and drive high-quality development of Dongguan’s technology and economy.