Thanks to its rich resources in terms of talent, capital and markets, Beijing's Zhongguancun has been selected for a third time to host the annual conference of the International Association of Science Parks in 2015.
With the advent of globalization, the world "has marched into a period characterized by revolutions of technologies and industries", said Zhou Guolin, deputy director-general of Zhongguancun's administrative committee. "Cooperation in technology has become an essential solution for all countries to improve their innovative capacity."
"The annual conference will not only serve as an opportunity to promote Zhongguancun and boost international cooperation but also display a full picture of the world's science parks," he said.
Zhongguancun officials said the conference will attract more than 1,000 delegates from around the world, adding that industrial alliances and associations are "more than welcome" to participate, because they will lead to cooperation among companies on a much larger scale.
The innovation zone has set a long-term target to become a center of world-class technologies and talent.
"When anything is possible in Zhongguancun, it truly becomes a place of innovation", said Zhou. "Innovation means to minimize cost but maximize productivity and efficiency."
The administration has organized local companies to take part in exhibitions and conferences overseas to enhance exchanges.
To improve the companies' competence in the global market, the administration is building up a service network for them, which includes preferential policies, a good business environment and coordination.
This year, they launched a new training program for local entrepreneurs focusing on international operations. The courses included law systems, tax, intellectual property protection and market rules in foreign countries.
They are planning another project to attract graduate students from foreign countries to have internship in local companies, to let the world better know China's culture and current development.
Many US colleges have shown interest in offering their students to the project, and many of Zhongguancun's companies are willing to accept them, said Zeng Xiaodong, director of the area's international operation.
Zeng said the administration is also considering building an "incubator" model for foreign professionals only, in which foreign top experts can start their business in Zhongguancun sharing local infrastructure, labs, facilities and services.
The revenues of foreign-funded companies in Zhongguancun increased from 403.6 billion yuan ($66.3 billion) in 2007 to 781 billion yuan in 2012, with their total profit rising from 37.4 billion yuan to 67.6 billion yuan.
By the end of last year, 79 local companies had been listed overseas, accounting for 35.2 percent of the number of all the locally listed companies. Nearly 50 of them are listed in the US.
Zhongguancun companies had been granted a total of 1,553 patents overseas in 2012, increasing 80 percent compared with 2011. More than 1,300 of them were invention patents, up 78.4 percent.
In the same year, there were 14 international merger and acquisition cases by local Chinese companies, five more than in the previous year.
zhangzhao@chinadaily.com.cn
