Liwan district, Guangzhou recently signed a contract with Aliyun, Alibaba's cloud computing subsidiary, to build an innovation center to boost the region's cloud and artificial intelligence industries.

The Aliyun Innovation Center, to be located in the Hexiang Town Innovation Park, will cover an area of over 20,000 square meters. It is equipped with apartments for talents and is expected to host 50 to 100 innovative groups.

Liwan district signs a cooperation contract with Aliyun to build an innovation center in the district. [Photo/Nanfang Plus]

The innovation center will help upstream and downstream enterprises in the cloud industry develop and prosper, and will also aid the local government in incubating innovative startups, according to Zhao Zhenggang, a senior official from Aliyun.

In the future, Liwan and Aliyun will work together to incubate a range of technology companies involved in cloud computing, big data, AI application, and R&D, and provide services for smart manufacturing and new retail firms across Guangzhou and cities on the west bank of the Pearl River.

Startups facing difficulties will be able to communicate directly with the innovation center, which will provide them with Aliyun's best integrated resources. One of the resources is the FengChi Startup Support Program, which aims to provide free offices, financing channels, and marketing resources for innovative talents, which will hopefully cut company startup costs and help companies realize their dreams.

Zhao Zhenggang, vice general manager of Alibaba Cloud China, delivers a speech. [Photo/Nanfang Plus] 

Liwan district was chosen as the location for the innovation center because Guangzhou is the political and cultural center of South China and because of Liwan district's industrial development plan, which matches the development direction of the innovation center. Liwan district also boasts special government incentives for boosting entrepreneurship and innovation, said Zhao.

Over the past few years, Liwan district has been pressing ahead with its development of IAB (next generation of information technology, artificial intelligence and biological medicine) and NEM (new energy and materials) industries, working hard to boost its advanced manufacturing industry and strategic emerging industries. The district is now home to a number of new-type technological R&D institutions.