An ambitious hi-tech zone in Western China is striving to become the country's Silicon Valley, a place for innovation that will drive not only the high-tech industry but also the economy as a whole.
"Twenty years ago, when China just raised the Torch Program and set up the first national hi-tech zones, learning from Silicon Valley seemed like an illusion. But now, we attempt to make innovation a catalyst for better development, just as Silicon Valley does," said an official from Chengdu Industrial Hi-Tech Development Zone (CDHT) at a press conference last week.
CDHT recently witnessed two important occasions: publishing the "Third Trend of Entrepreneurship" Industrial Development Plan of CDHT (2013-2020) and honoring the "Enterprise and Talent of the Year.
The plan points out the basic paths relating to model, subject, platform, and mechanism of the development, as well as plans for industrial upgrading of strategic emerging industries by encouraging innovation.
Thirty-three people also recently received the 2013 Talent of Innovation and Entrepreneurship grant worth 26.5 million yuan ($4.26 million).
"We want to give a strong signal to the world, demonstrating our determination of reform by supporting innovation," the official said.
The zone's industrial sector added value in 2013 reached 103.97 billion yuan ($16.74 billion), while the added value of strategic emerging industries grew by 18.6% to 52 billion yuan ($ 8.37 billion).