Chongqing- The core area of the Western (Chongqing) Science City achieved a 10% year-on-year GDP growth in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, ranking first in Chongqing, according to a meeting on April 27. 

Despite pandemic pressures and a complicated economic situation, the Western (Chongqing) Science City recorded rapid economic growth in Q1. A related official viewed rapid industrialization as the main engine for its high-quality economic development. 

376 Planned projects 197 under construction

Project construction is the fundamental point for developing the Western (Chongqing) Science City. This year, it started with full force on the key projects, focusing on integrating science, industry, and the city.

A Western (Chongqing) Science City representative clarified the three aspects of its blueprint. "In the Western (Chongqing) Science City, science is the soul, industry the support, and the city is the carrier," he said. "We insist on integrating science, industry, and city to promote high-quality development."

In the first quarter of this year, among the 376 planned construction projects in the Western (Chongqing) Science City, 197 were under construction and four were completed, of which 60 key projects were under construction at a rate of 65%. Among the 55 special class projects, 33 are under construction, with a construction rate of 60%.

Large-scale development and large-scale construction will facilitate the vigorous development of the Western (Chongqing) Science City, especially the construction industry. Data show that in the first quarter of this year, the 44 registered construction enterprises in the science city achieved a total output value of 2.34 billion yuan (about 3.53 billion U.S. dollars) with an increase of 50.7%, 40.6 percent higher than the whole city. Driven by the project construction, the added value of the financial industry increased by 12.8%, 10.2 percentage points higher than the city.

Four pillar industries

In the first quarter of this year, the core area of the Western (Chongqing) Science City signed 20 investment projects with 34.7 billion yuan (about 5.25 billion U.S. dollars), involving four of the world’s and China’s top 500 enterprises, two listed enterprises, and two scientific research institutes.

Among the signed projects, the formal contract projects target the four pillar industries of the Western (Chongqing) Science City, namely the new-generation information technology, life and health, green and low-carbon, advanced manufacturing, and high-tech services.

"According to the characteristics of the science city, we mapped the industry chain graph, defined 12 sub-sectors and 59 industrial directions of the four leading industries, highlighting the first-class universities, national institutes, and state-run enterprises," said the relevant person in charge of Chongqing High-tech Zone Investment Promotion Co., Ltd. "Relying on the five innovation support platforms of the university town, scientific research port, science valley, life island, scientific and technological innovation street, we have targeted 158 investment enterprises which played a good foundation for the industrial cluster investment."

To further achieve precise investment promotion, the Western (Chongqing) Science City has arranged a group of experts and leaders proficient in the industry to go deep into various fields to boost the high-level investment promotion. 

“Originally we have set up a hospital in the science city. As the business environment is getting better, we decided to put our western headquarters here as well," said the person in charge of the Hygeria, a medical group, which was newly settled in the first quarter. This project plans to invest 1.1 billion yuan, aiming to build the whole industry ecological chain of life and health to gather the high-end innovation and entrepreneurship elements such as talents, capital, technology, and information.

(Wang Lu, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)