Xiangzhou District laid out six targets with supporting policies during its May 29 industrial development conference to further implement Zhuhai's "industry first" development strategy.

Of note, Sanxi Technology & Innovation Town in Shangchong of Qianshan is expected to achieve a growth rate of over 100 percent this year in industrial output value. The growth rate for Nanping Science & Technology Industrial Park is aimed to increase by 15 percent while its output value is projected to exceed 200 billion yuan ($30 billion) in the next three years.

Xiangzhou will build a 5.5-million-sqm (1,359-acre) standard factory in two years, while cultivating 10 national, 50 provincial, as well as 100 municipal specialized, characteristic, and emerging enterprises within 2022. It will also attract 10,000 talents this year, including 200 high-caliber ones.

The district will strive to introduce 300 projects with a single investment of over 10 million yuan ($2 million) and 60 manufacturing projects with a single investment of over 100 million yuan ($15 million) this year, as well as more than 600 globally advanced sci-tech innovation projects.

Xiangzhou District Industrial Development Conference [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

During the conference, construction of 27 projects, worth 15.66 billion yuan ($2.35 billion), was launched, and agreements for 124 projects with total investment of 20.77 billion yuan ($3.12 billion) were signed to settle in Xiangzhou. In addition, 17 projects, worth 5.11 billion yuan ($768.39 million), were put into operation, adding 2.73-million-sqm (675-acre) in industrial carriers.

Development of optoelectronics has been prioritized as one of the emerging industries in Xiangzhou. An optoelectronics industrial park with floorage of 30,000 sqm (7.4 acres) has been built at Sanxi Technology & Innovation Town. Various preferential policies, covering project attraction, sci-tech R&D, and industrial supporting facilities, have also been released to support the industry's development.

For instance, Leaguer Optoelectronics Industrial Park located in Sanxi Technology & Innovation Town is one of the 27 projects that started construction on that day. Invested in and constructed by Shenzhen Leaguer Sci-tech Innovation, the industrial park will focus on the laser, optical communication, and optical sensing sectors to form an optoelectronics industrial cluster with core competitiveness relying on talent and technical advantages of key universities, as well as sci-tech research institutions.

The added value of Xiangzhou's industries above designated size increased by 8 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2022, while that of the hi-tech manufacturing industry rose by 27.2 percent during the same time period. The growth rates of key enterprises like Titans New Power and Gree Intelligent Equipment surpassed 50 percent.

Strategic cooperation agreements were also inked during the event between the district and four State-owned enterprises, namely Gree, Huafa, Zhengfang, and Zhengling groups, to build industrial carriers.

At the conference, Huang Wensheng, deputy director of Xiangzhou, detailed the district's preferential industrial policies, which cover six aspects like the real economy, talent attraction and cultivation, sci-tech innovation, as well as financial services.

In addition, small and medium-sized enterprises newly recognized as national, provincial, municipal, as well as district-level specialized, characteristic, and emerging enterprises can receive a one-time subsidy of up to 1 million yuan ($150,280).

Enterprises with employees under the Xiangshan Entrepreneurship Talent Program are able to receive a subsidy of up to 5 million yuan ($751,415).

Industrial, scientific research, and software information enterprises above designated size will receive a reward of up to 20 million yuan ($3 million) if their annual output value increases by over 10 percent.