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CHINA> Special Reports
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E-platform proves crucial in IT firms' bid to go global
By Ting Ting (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-11 08:13
With its self-appointed mission to link businesses across the world, the Information Bridge (iBridge), an Internet-based platform developed by the Haidian Science Park (HSP) to promote international cooperation and support the internationalization of businesses in China, has become indispensable as a means to push the resident companies in the HSP to go global. The HSP authorities have consistently highlighted the importance of internationalization. The international aspirations of businesses at the park have received constant support from government agencies, enterprises, and other sectors of society as well as from their existing global partners. After more than 20 years of development, the HSP is now established as one of the biggest and most respected science parks in Beijing. It is widely regarded as a famous brand name among China's hi-tech industries, as well as a platform from which China's hi-tech enterprises can go overseas. It is at the forefront of the international competition to secure state-of-the-art technologies in the world's hi-tech industries. For China watchers, it also serves as a window on how the world's third largest economy interacts with the global market and related social forces - and a vital way of seeing just how it is turning to private resources to build its mooted innovation economy. It has also become an important platform for global corporations looking both to develop R&D resources and gain a foothold in the Chinese market. Among the 15,000 hi-tech enterprises in the Haidian district, more than 2,000 are foreign-invested, including 42 Fortune 500 companies, such as Intel, IBM, HP, Honeywell, Microsoft and ABB. It is also home to many renowned Chinese hi-tech companies, such as Lenovo, Sina, Baidu, Sinosteel Corporation and the China National Chemical Corporation. iBridge is a network platform that serves enterprises in science parks and around the world. Based on Web 2.0 technology, the network is designed to facilitate the participation of members and the coordination of governments. It also serves as a communication tool to promote international cooperation and support the internationalization of enterprises in China. Members communicate with each other through a combination of tools such as blogs, communities, online conferences. The network also provides recommendations for better services to its members. All these have resulted in breakthroughs in cooperation, management improvement and the upgrading of government functions. International cooperation Taking it as the ideal way of connecting with the rest of the world, HSP is the first among the 54 national hi-tech zones and science parks in China to adopt iBridge. Even the International Association of Sciences Parks (IASP) is trying to make use of this effective communications platform. The idea of creating such a platform was first conceived of by the Foreign Affairs Service Center of HSP, and the project has become a part of the internationalization program implemented by the Torch Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology. In January 2007, a framework agreement for cooperation between HSP and Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovaco (SPI) was signed in Beijing, with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Prime Minister Jose Socrates of Portugal attended the signing ceremony. Both parties agreed to jointly promote the iBridge platform through their own networks. In August 2008, HSP and the government of Westchester county, US, signed an agreement to work together to set up a science and technology innovation cooperation mechanism for long term cooperation in training, business cooperation, information and technology exchanges. iBridge has been chosen to be the platform and information carrier for both parties. Up till now, after one-year of trials, iBridge has over 300 registered member enterprises. "With new members joining us and making contributions, we believe that iBridge will become a platform capable of providing many services, where members can share information, promote dynamic and interactive communication, enhance exchanges and find business opportunities around the world," an administrator of the iBridge network said. Go global Yang Yuanqing, CEO of Lenovo Group and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Chinese enterprises must "go global", make full use of their local advantages, possess proprietary intellectual property rights and technologies, persist in independent innovation, and build up their own core competitiveness. Yang said that the government would introduce more strategic measures in support of both independent innovation and those Chinese enterprises, with proprietary brands, looking to go global. This is aimed at creating a better environment for independent innovation by businesses. For Feng Jun, CEO of Beijing Huaqi Information Digital Technology Co, this is the perfect time for Chinese enterprises to venture into the international market. Chinese companies have had to make the best use of the global economic recession, which has resulted in falling prices for assets and human resources. The financial crisis has also precipitated a change in the mentality of overseas consumers. Feng said: "Enterprises should be eligible for concessions offered to 'incubators' after paying a certain amount of tax in China. This will not only increase the enthusiasm of enterprises to pay tax but will allow taxpayers to enjoy real benefits. After a full year of 'incubation', those enterprises that are strong enough and are growing well should leave the 'incubator' to make room for other enterprises." In line with this policy, the Indian expert Das Gupta was appointed as the chief advisor to HSP and this appointment is expected to promote Haidian's software outsourcing industry. The strategy has established a bridge for communication and exchange of ideas between Chinese enterprises and foreign experts.
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