Chongqing - Chongqing in Southwest China issued a 2 trillion RMB list of 160 major programs on February 7 to boost the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.
The list highlighted the network of modernized infrastructure, modern industry system, scientific innovation, Chengdu-Chongqing cultural tourism corridor, and collaboration on the ecosystem and public services.
The modern industry system sees 72 programs, the most significant amount, with a total investment of 540.2 billion RMB, and scientific innovation, among the municipality's top priorities, received 30 programs totaling 75 billion RMB.
Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle covers about 185,000 square km as China's new economic engine. (iChongqing file photo)
The two sectors have received constant effort and saw some promising outcomes recently.
On January 22, the "Qingou 30" hydrogen-powered UAV gave its first flight in Chongqing's Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone. With fixed wings, vertical take-off and landing ability, and nine-hour endurance with speed 18 – 25 m/s, "Qingou 30" becomes the most endurant UAV in the same type of products in China. It was a technological breakthrough for Chinese UAV researchers as no one ever launched the development of hydrogen-powered UAVs with the same standard before.
Qingou 30 is widely recognized as a technological breakthrough in the field of UAVs. (photo provided by Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone)
Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone, announced in 2019, conglomerates research institutions of domestic and international universities. (photo / Liu Jingting)
Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone has become the critical brain for Chongqing to create innovative ideas and transfer them into industrial fruits. To make up Chongqing's shortage in scientific research, Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone has introduced 40 research institutions from domestic and international universities, with 14 teams led by academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and over 1,700 innovative talents. Up to December 2021, the area has incubated 66 enterprises.
Liangjiang New Area Digital Economy Industrial Park gathers domestic digital economy giants, as well as local emerging digital economy companies. (photo / Lan Tian)
Technology innovation also supports the emerging consumer finance company, Mashang Consumer Finance. It was recognized as the 7th Chinese unicorn enterprise in 2021 and one of three leaders in the consumer finance field within less than seven years.
Zhao Guoqing, the chairman of Mashang Consumer Finance, said that the company had built a technological advantage in AI application scenarios like digital retail credit systems, robot outbound calls, and smart interaction platforms.
This company is only a glimpse of Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area Digital Economy Industrial Park, where the development of digital enterprises is flourishing.
As Chongqing's digital economy base, the park attracts digital economy businesses and creates an environment for incubating such companies. About 900 digital economy enterprises registered here in 2021, making the total number over 6300.
Last year, the added value of the digital economy in Liangjiang New Area accounted for one-third of Chongqing.
Leading Chongqing's development in their respective sectors, Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone and Liangjiang New Area Digital Economy Park have been attached great significance by Liangjiang New Area. They are among the newly released implementation plan of its ten major projects.
The plan clarified each project's main goal and prioritized tasks, covering scientific innovation, smartization and new infrastructure, urban construction, international business and communication, high-quality livelihood, and environmental protection.
It laid out the blueprint of the new area and revealed its strategic directions and ambition to achieve high-quality development as the major driving force of Chongqing's fast-paced growth and the co-prosperity of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.
According to the plan, the Liangjiang Innovation Collaborative Zone will continually carry out the concept of the scientific plus industry to enable scientific and industrial innovation, especially in emerging industries. It also sets the goal of creating a favorable environment for talents home and abroad to conduct research and achievement transformation.
The Liangjiang New Area Digital Economy Industrial Park will highlight AI+, big data+, and 5G+ and focus on emerging sectors, including integrated circuits, the new generation of information products, software, and IT services. It aims to build a gathering place for innovative companies with an increasingly attractive digital economy ecosystem.
Lijia Smart Park demonstrates the future smart living applications for tourists. (photo / Zhang Kunkun）
As the first national-level development area in inland China, Liangjiang New Area serves as the gateway of inland opening-up and plays a leading role in China's Western Development Strategy.
In 2021, the new area's GDP hit 11.8%, a record high in the past five years. It accommodates half of the FG 500 companies that have settled in Chongqing and realized $3.26 billion of the actual utilization of foreign capital.
(This article is co-produced by Guo Shuyu, Liangjiang New Area Media Center)