The Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of Liangjiang New Area (Shuitu Base), a key demonstration site for the large practical activities of "Innotown", was officially launched on August 16.

Focusing on the key industries in Liangjiang New Area – especially in Shuitu Hi-tech Industrial Park, such as R&D of robotics and relevant accessories, industrial creative design and new product R&D, etc., the center is expected to be a show window of Liangjiang New Area as an innovation center in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

"'Innotown' is in fact a new 'Silicon Valley' for innovators and entrepreneurs. According to the overall plan, Towers 4-6 in Zone G of the Liangjiang Cloud Computing Center will be put into use in the first phase of the Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of Liangjiang New Area (Shuitu Base), a major carrier of the activities. The total area will amount to 30,516 square meters, including 23,908 square meters for a 5-floor office area above ground, and 6,608 square meters for an underground parking lot", said academician Zhong Zhihua, Director of Chongqing Science & Technology Commission and Deputy Director of the Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee.

"Through the TV show 'Innotown' and other activities, we are inviting innovative teams, attracting innovation projects and incubating innovative businesses from all over the world. A host of innovative enterprises will quickly settle down in the Shuitu Base which will help gather innovation elements", Zhong continued, adding that the activities have so far attracted nearly 10 entrepreneurs and entrepreneur teams.

In addition, the "Innotown" website will be built online by the Shuitu Base as a public innovation and entrepreneurship platform for investment & financing, skilled people exchange and project communication among domestic entrepreneurs, investors and enterprises.

"According to the plan, by 2015 we will have around 100 innovation projects and 1,000 innovators in the key industries such as smart terminal research and design, cloud computing and big data software R&D, primarily forming the technological innovation competitiveness and an aggregation atmosphere for technological innovation and development. A domestically first-class and internationally influential innovation and entrepreneurship base will take shape by 2018, with an average output of RMB 50,000/square meter per year per unit area at the headquarters, and RMB 30,000/ square meter per year per unit area at the production bases. It will be a demonstration zone and symbol for Chongqing's innovative development," said Zhong.

When asked about the business models of enterprises settling down here, Zhong pointed out, "about half of the enterprises at the headquarters will work on R&D to provide support for the new product development and production technology of the Shuitu Base, while other technology-based enterprises will focus on R&D services, new product design and development services as well as manufacturing of software and other hi-tech products for Chongqing, China and even the rest of the world."

Edited by Brian Salter, Huang Pei