Gaoxin Avenue – the principal axis of the Optics Valley Sci-tech Innovation Corridor, is located in East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China). [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

The Hubei government in Central China's Hubei province issued an action plan for the high-quality development of the Optics Valley Sci-tech Innovation Corridor from 2023 to 2025, aiming to establish a cross-regional coordinated innovation mechanism.

The plan highlights the need to accelerate the construction of East Lake Science City. It also pushes to accelerate the construction of the national optoelectronic information laboratory, and speed up the approval and operation of precision gravity measurement facilities.

Hubei laboratories and all kinds of inter-disciplinary research platforms were encouraged to collaborate with scientific institutes and sci-tech companies based in the corridor. The government will ramp up efforts to advance the construction of the Optics Valley International Medical Innovation Center, while also continuously focusing on the fields of optoelectronic information, new energy, intelligent connected vehicles, life and health, high-end equipment, the Beidou navigation satellite system, and AI.

The cities of Wuhan, Ezhou, Huanggang, Huangshi and Xianning are encouraged to set up a dialogue mechanism for major investment project implementation.

Wuhan University will be assisted in creating a future industry sci-tech park. The park will focus on aerospace information, and will further explore the "discipline + industry" model and the "incubation + investment" service system.

The plan also mentioned the launch of innovative application scenarios, trials and demonstrations regarding 5G+, AI+, autonomous driving, digital workshops and telemedicine.

Ezhou, Huanggang, Huangshi and Xianning have all been advised to copy the talent registration and integrating systems that were developed by the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China).

Universities, provincial laboratories, new-type research institutions, and leading enterprises were all urged to give small and medium-sized enterprises access to their scientific facilities as well as some non-confidential sci-tech resources.