Ambitious plan would help companies commercialize technologies

The coastal city of Zhanjiang is building a maritime high-tech "valley" to better implement its strategy of innovation-driven development.

Wang Zhongbing, the mayor of Zhanjiang, proposed building such a valley in early 2014. He said the valley would highlight ocean industries and boost the industrial restructuring of Zhanjiang.

Ou Xianwei, chief of the Zhanjiang science and technology bureau, said the valley would consist of science and technology zones and business incubators.

He said it would become a center of maritime high-tech industry by gathering technologies, professionals and capital and help realize technological industrialization.

Zhanjiang in the southwest of Guangdong province has solid foundations to build the maritime valley, Ou said.

The port city has a coastline of more than 1,000 kilometers, is rich in ocean resources and boasts well-developed ocean industries.

The city is home to hundreds of companies that process aquatic products and its output of such products has long outnumbered other regions in Guangdong. It is the largest prawn trading center in China, with about 40 percent of the prawn exported to the United States from China coming from one local company.

China National Offshore Oil Co, a large oil and gas producer, has a branch in Zhanjiang, which focuses on the exploration, development and production of oil and gas in the west of the South China Sea.

Ou said as the first phase of a massive Baosteel iron and steel plant comes into operation in late September, it will boost development of ocean-related industries in Zhanjiang.

The city also has universities and research institutions in this field, including Guangdong Ocean University, which Ou said would support development of the maritime valley.

"We'll make Zhanjiang a pilot experiment center to help realize the industrialization of marine sciences and technologies," Ou said.

Although conditions for fundamental research in Zhanjiang are not as good as in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, he said, it has advantages for conducting pilot experiments and industrialization.

The maritime valley could provide research findings from those cities with a "greenhouse" in which they can grow into products suitable for marketing, according to Ou.

The valley's heart

Construction of an initial area of the valley will soon begin in Mazhang district. The area, named the Zhanjiang Mazhang Scientific and Technological Innovation Park, will be the valley's heart and is planned to cover an area of about 19 hectares, local officials said.

The plan is to attract new research and development organizations to the initial area.

"Such organizations will be directly oriented toward markets," Ou said. He said research for new institutions would center on economic benefits rather than only academic results.

Companies, universities, research institutions and individuals are all welcome to establish bases in the area.

Ou said the local government would assist organizations that meet the demand of innovation-driven development to set up in the area.

The plan is to construct about 100 buildings in the initial area, including a service building, a research and development and incubation complex and a residential community.

Public laboratories are also planned for the service building. Ou said researchers would be able to bring their technologies to the area's labs to conduct further experiments, which would reduce their costs.

The initial area will focus on maritime biology, medicine and equipment manufacturing as well as strategic emerging industries related to oceans, such as new materials and new energy.

After the area is set up, it is expected to host dozens of technological communication and cooperation events each year to serve ocean-related professionals and organizations.

International cooperation

Ou said the city hopes to see more cooperation on maritime high-tech between China and other countries and regions after the initial area is built.

"We eagerly welcome US maritime parks and organizations to visit Zhanjiang and cooperate with us," he said.

The maritime valley also expects partnerships with companies, individuals and cities that are strong in developing oceanic technologies.

Ou said such partnerships would advance technological research and the creation of marketable products. They would also make it easier for foreign partners to find markets in China and Southeast Asia.

It would reduce costs for foreign research teams and organizations to develop their technologies in Zhanjiang, he said.

The Zhanjiang government plans to offer at least 100 million yuan ($15.7 million) annually from this year through 2017 to support development of the valley's initial areas.

Investment of tens of billions of yuan is expected for the construction of the maritime valley, Ou said.

The financial support from the government will enable technological projects that meet certain requirements to use office space in the initial area in Mazhang district for free for their first three years.

The valley also seeks to attract projects from European countries, especially France.

Ou said France plays a major role in Europe in terms of oceanic science and technology.

The State Oceanic Administration responded positively to the maritime high-tech valley plan, according to Ou.

Local officials said to date more than 20 projects are considering becoming part of the initial area.

As planned, the maritime high-tech valley will also include a science and technology zone on Donghai Island where the Baosteel plant is located and another such zone near Guangdong Ocean University, Ou said.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn