Zhuhai ranked 14th among 288 cities in regards to sci-tech innovation development, according to the 2022 Report on Sci-tech Innovation Development in Chinese Cities released on Feb 12. With an index of 0.3036, it came in second among the prefecture-level cities for the third consecutive year, only after Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

The report, compiled by the Capital Institute of Science and Technology Development Strategy since 2017, assesses the cities in terms of innovative resources, environment, services, and innovative performance. The combination of these criteria will show the overall level of innovative sci-tech development in domestic cities.

Three other cities in Guangdong Province ranked within the top 20 of the list, namely Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Dongguan. 

In recent years, Zhuhai has been deeply implementing an innovation-driven development strategy to construct an International Sci-tech Innovation Center in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Zhuhai National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Tangjiawan) is home to many hi-tech enterprises [Photo by Li Jianshu / WeChat account: zhuhaifabu]

As of the end of 2022, the number of hi-tech enterprises in Zhuhai reached 2,304 and another 2,184 small and medium-sized sci-tech enterprises were registered in the cultivation repositories. The number of technologically advanced service enterprises in Zhuhai amounted to 30, while the number of new-generation R&D institutes was 40. The city has been home to 36 sci-tech enterprise incubators and 36 maker spaces. 

As of December 2022, the city has registered 26 "Pearl River Talent Program" elites and 163 innovation and entrepreneurship teams at the municipal and provincial levels. Zhuhai has devoted great efforts to introducing overseas technological talents. It has issued 147 confirmation letters for high-caliber talents, and titled 104 people from foreign countries, Hong Kong, and Macao as "Provincial High-caliber Talents."

Zhuhai has been active in establishing a distinctive policy mechanism for the construction and management of sci-tech innovation platforms. The city also added three key provincial laboratories, five provincial new-generation R&D institutions, three municipal new-generation R&D institutions, and 56 municipal engineering technology research centers in 2022.

In addition, strong support has been provided to local universities, sci-tech institutions, and enterprises to forge overseas sci-tech cooperation.