A development report on industrial parks in the Yangtze River basin is released on July 29 in OVC. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

The first membership meeting of the Yangtze River Basin Development Zone Cooperation Alliance was held on July 29 in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC). The Yangtze River basin development zone report was issued at the event.

The alliance was jointly initiated by OVC, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone, and other development zones in 2015 to facilitate the interaction and exchange of talent, industries and projects among its members.

As the rotating director unit of the alliance for 2021, OVC concluded the alliance's work for 2021-22. The Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone was appointed as the next director.

The report indicated that the Yangtze River basin boasts 159 national development zones (including 88 economic and technological development zones and 71 high-tech development zones), accounting for 41.2 percent of China's total. These development zones have contributed more than one third of the regional GDP of the 11 provinces and municipalities they respectively belong to.

The Yangtze River basin is strong in terms of appeal to talent, national influence, green development, and corporate strength. Hubei is currently home to 19 State-level development zones, and it has the second most national sci-tech incubators in the basin, second only to Jiangsu province.

While trying to minimize the adverse effects of the pandemic, OVC has been consolidating the construction of innovation and entrepreneurship platforms. The valley's proportions of researchers and personnel holding master's degrees or higher at listed companies are rising, with its vocational structure being further optimized.