Efforts to build innovation-led urban area pays off in Qingdao WCNA

Qingdao West Coast New Area (Qingdao WCNA), a State-level new development zone in the coastal city of Qingdao in East China's Shandong province, has promoted synergy in the industrial and innovation chains to build an innovation-driven urban area, according to local media.

On Dec 27 2022, the construction of the "Zhonghua" thermophysical test facility was launched in the WCNA, which is the first major national science and technology infrastructure project in the 14th Five-Year plan (2021-25) period to start construction.

"The project will effectively support the improvement of the existing aspirated engine design system and the establishment of such a system based on the new theory in the future, and provide solid foundations for the independent and innovative development of China's advanced aspirated engine," said Zhu Junqiang, director of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Encouraging and supporting enterprises to play a leading role in scientific and technological innovation is an important approach for the area to promote the deep integration of innovation and industrial chains.

In light of the problems of insufficient investment in research and development in many enterprises, the area issued a three-year plan last year for the cultivation of specialized and innovative enterprises, high-tech enterprises, and large-scale industrial enterprises, with an expenditure of 997 million yuan ($147 million) in the field of science and technology from January to November of 2022.

Sun Yonghong, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee and secretary of the New Area's Working Committee, said that the area will implement the innovation-driven development strategy to meet the needs of the country and economic development, build an open and innovative ecosystem, and make efforts to build an innovation-led urban area.