Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (Hannan) in 2016

Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (Hannan) made remarkable progress in 2016.

February

Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (Hannan) set up goals to establish a national manufacturing base and a leading international automobile center in 2021.

Plans are to build a global manufacturing hub by 2025.

March

The development zone hosted a symposium of private companies, aiming to help solve their problems.

Signing of a 28.3 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) agreement with Zhonghang Hongtai General aviation industry comprehensive demonstration zone, which will bring more industries to the Wuhan zone, including aeronautical manufacturing and tech research.

The zone started a program encouraging Huazhong University of Science and Technology students to start up businesses there.

April

The zone employed individuals and institutions — among them professors, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists — as ambassadors to attract international resources.

May

The development zone published a business license, with various certificates that aim to streamline the application procedures for companies.

It issued a plan on clustering industries, promoting industrial upgrades, attracting investment and improving services.

The zone unveiled an overall plan for building an intelligent car demonstration area, to help Wuhan become a model city for testing intelligent cars, innovations and industrial applications.

July

Wuhan’s college student community was located in the development zone, with 300 apartments for students.

The first modern tram line in Central China operated in the development zone and the construction of line 16 to Hannan area is started.

The third plenary session of the 13th CPC Wuhan Committee urged the development zone to accelerate reforms and innovation, increase production of conventional automobiles and plan for artificial intelligence industries involved with such areas as robots and smart homes.

August

The development zone said it will create an intelligent manufacturing ecosystem.

Dongfeng Motor Company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Wuhan municipality during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), to invest more than 30 billion yuan in Wuhan over the next five years.