Xiamen Software Park Phase III, located in Xiamen's Jimei district, is an arm of the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries. CHINA DAILY 

A total of five manufacturing projects from the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries signed agreements with local authorities recently to further cooperate in business investment and industrial development.

The move came after the launch ceremony of the Economic Alliance of Alumni in Xiamen. It was initiated by the Xiamen city government with the aim of mobilizing alumni resources to gather talents and promote industrial innovation.

The projects, operated by alumni enterprises, range from lithium batteries, chips and micro LEDs to an intelligent industrial park.

Qingdao Zhongkehualian Advanced Materials Corp, one of the five projects, sited its lithium battery diaphragm production base and research and development headquarters in the development zone in 2021. A lithium battery diaphragm is a thin film with microporous structure, which is a key internal component.

Pan Zhimin, a board member of Zhongkehualian, said: "I love Xiamen University a lot. I often travel around the university although I'm 50 years old."

Pan is an alumnus of Xiamen University, where he completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry and his postgraduate degree in business administration.

"Xiamen is accelerating the development of the lithium battery industry. And diaphragms are a required supply material in the industry," Pan said.

Last year, Pan spoke with the development zone to set up the base and headquarters.

"The project went efficiently from communication to implementation," Pan said, adding that the local government and the administrative committee of the development zone had given all their support.

The project is expected to complete four production lines within one year. Its annual output value is expected to reach 3 billion yuan ($447 million), according to Pan.