An online to offline (O2O) co-working platform launched to the public in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region on Nov 11.

Known as Cowork, the platform is the first O2O one to launch in the region and acts as a point of communication for companies in Urumqi to communicate with one another.

Urumqi officials inaugurate an online to offline co-working platform on Nov 11, marking the settlement of Xinjiang's first 020 office sharing platform in its capital city. [Photo/wxsq.gov.cn]

Urumqi is a hub for small and medium-sized startups. The addition of the platform, authorities say, is part of the city's innovation driven strategy.

"Urumqi now has the largest number of small and medium-sized companies in Xinjiang. It has 110 startup bases and 610 public service platforms," said Liu Chengyuan, Urumqi's deputy mayor.

He added that the next step will be to attract more sources of innovation and talent to the high-tech zone and build Urumqi as a center for entrepreneurship in the country.