The city of Tai'an in Eastern China's Shandong province held its first fair on advanced technologies, high-tech projects and the talent those industries need in Tai'an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone on March 27.

The fair was held to attract experts from universities and scientific research institutions to Tai'an as well as investment by high-tech enterprises in the area.

Liu Weidong, vice mayor of Tai'an, speaking at the fair's opening ceremony said, "Tai'an Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone is an important platform for developing high-tech industries, emerging industries and the commercialization of research findings. I hope that the development zone will take this opportunity presented by the fair to lure more talents in a bid to build itself as an innovative industrial park."

The city of Tai'an holds its first fair on advanced technologies, high-tech projects and the talent those industries need in Tai'an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone on March 27. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The fair attracted more than 500 experts from Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Science, and enterprises and universities both at home and abroad. More than 300 innovative R&D projects submitted by 15 well-known colleges and universities such as Tsinghua University, Wuhan University and Shandong University received interest by the executives of enterprises at the fair.

During the fair, nearly 20 research project contracts were signed in such areas as shale gas development and utilization, photovoltaic (PV) refrigeration new energy system, big data application in healthcare and the Internet of Things R&D.

Nearly 20 research project contracts are signed in such areas as shale gas development and utilization, PV refrigeration new energy system, big data application in healthcare and the Internet of Things R&D. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Tai'an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is recognized as a national high-tech development zone, with many competitive industries such as electric transmission and transformation equipment manufacturing, automobile production and biological medicine. It has attracted more than 30 of world's top 500 companies, including Hyundai Heavy Industries, Cargill Group and Singapore Lobb Heng Group.

In recent years, Tai'an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone pays more attention to emerging and modern service industries. Last year, 60 newly-signed projects started construction in the zone with a total investment of 63.914 billion yuan ($10.3 billion), covering energy conservation and environmental protection, new materials, bio-pharmaceuticals, photovoltaic energy and electronic information.