Wuhan held the first post-epidemic large-scale investment promotion activity in south China's economic hub Shenzhen on July 1. Market entities of the two places signed 13 projects involving next-generation automobiles, artificial intelligence, automobile aftermarket and other fields, with a total investment of 89 billion yuan. The signing of these projects highlights the unique investment advantages of Wuhan Development Zone and injects new vitality into accelerating the region's post-epidemic recovery and creating a new highland for gathering capital and wisdom, according to the Publicity Department of Wuhan Development Zone.
The Hilton Hotel in Shenzhen's Shekou District, where the event was held, was teeming with guests Wednesday. Peng Hao, head of Wuhan Development Zone, made a detailed introduction on the region's investment advantages, highlighting its science and technology innovation headquarters base in particular.
Attending enterprises include senior management from Sky-well New Energy Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Sunac China Holdings Limited, Huawei and other locally headquartered leading firms in industrial, real estate and other sectors.
Wuhan Development Zone is a national development zone with strong comprehensive competitiveness in the country's central and western regions. With an annual output of more than 1 million cars and 17 million air conditioners, it is the main venue, engine and pillar for Wuhan's industrial and economic development. In recent years, Wuhan Development Zone has continuously promoted industrial transformation and upgrading, developed a diversified industrial support system, and stepped up investment promotion and capital introduction. Statistics showed that in the past three years, the region has signed 252 major projects worth over 100 million yuan, with a signed amount of 682.1 billion yuan in total. Among them, there are 49 projects invested by the world's Fortune 500 enterprises and 33 projects invested by centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
As the core area for Wuhan Development Zone's future transformation and upgrading and high-quality development, the region's science and technology innovation headquarters base is accelerating planning and construction. Located near the Yangtze River and South Taizi Lake, the base boasts superior geographical, transport and infrastructure conditions.
According to relevant plans, the base seeks to focus on headquarters economy, scientific research and development, and smart manufacturing in terms of industry introduction. Cooperation opportunities are open to Fortune 500 firms, large central SOEs, leading private enterprises, industry leaders, large multinational companies, well-known universities and research institutes. The development of emerging industries such as next-generation automobiles, smart homes, smart manufacturing, testing and design will be highlighted. The base aims to form a modern headquarters economic agglomeration area facing central China and radiating the whole country, and establish clusters of industrial research and development institutions and a national industrial incubation acceleration platform.
In terms of planning and layout, Wuhan Development Zone science and technology innovation headquarters base will take water as the axis to create an overall spatial structure with one axis connecting six lakes and three belts connecting four sections.
The central belt will connect sections of wealth gathering, science and technology innovation and ecological development to promote headquarters economy, research and development, smart manufacturing and waterfront businesses. The base will feature the functions of office, research and development test, commercial and residential uses. By connecting decision-making with R&D and industrial application, the base will attract high-end industry clusters and professionals.
The invitation to Wuhan Development Zone has won applause and recognition from Shenzhen's entrepreneurs.
"Wuhan is a natural investment destination for large domestic enterprises and groups as long as they want to make a nationwide presence. We are optimistic about Wuhan and will continue to invest in Wuhan," said Zhang Jinshun, vice chairman of Baoneng Group.
"Wuhan has a very good investment environment and the people are very enthusiastic. It is a safe bet to invest in Wuhan," said Jiang Tiefeng, general manager of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co,.Ltd.
Many entrepreneurs expressed their willingness to strengthen all-round cooperation with Wuhan Development Zone to seek common development and achieve win-win results.
Focusing on the artificial intelligence industry, Shenzhen Galaxy Industry Group plans to work with China Construction Second Engineering Bureau and Wuhan Real Estate Group to invest in the construction of an international intellectual port in Wuhan Development Zone, and to build projects such as China university venture capital research institute (Central China branch), national institute of entrepreneurship, Wuhan university entrepreneurship manager training base, an incubator, a fashion shopping street and COCO PARK Phase I.
On next-generation automobiles, DeepRoute, a Shenzhen-based self-driving startup, will build a production base, R&D test center and operation center for intelligent Internet-connected automobiles in Wuhan Development Zone. It has also set up relevant technical teams around the technological transformation of core components and the development of L4-level self-driving algorithm in-depth learning technology to carry out commercial pilot operations. Another Shenzhen-headquartered self-driving start-up AutoX will set its central China regional operation headquarters in Wuhan Development Zone. The first batch of the company's 20 self-driving vehicles will run on urban roads in Wuhan Development Zone.
To promote scientific and technological innovation, China Science and Technology Development Institute plans to build an innovation and entrepreneurship service platform and an industrial engine platform in Wuhan Development Zone. Giving full play to the advantages of the institute's scientific and technological innovation strengths and other resources, the investment projects aim at strategic emerging industries such as intelligent Internet-connected automobiles, industrial robots, new materials and new energy. Efforts will be made to introduce and cultivate high-quality teams and projects at home and abroad, create a good ecological environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, and strive to build it into a national incubator within four years. In line with the development concept of integration of industry growth and city development, R&F Group plans to build a scientific and technological innovation center in Wuhan Development Zone to create a characteristic industrial demonstration area to gather scientific and technological innovation industries, innovation ideas and new talents.
Focusing on the automobile services market, China Zhengtong Group gathers and integrates the advantageous resources of its subsidiaries and related parties and plans to build and introduce a number of key projects such as the group's wealth settlement center, Dongzheng finance central China headquarters base and Zhengtong logistics headquarters base. It aims to build an industrial cluster in the automotive aftermarket, development and introduce benchmarking high-end office areas, enterprise headquarters bases, financial towns and various commercial supporting industries and formats, and create diversified urban space.
Peng Hao said Wuhan Development Zone will issue the best policies, create the best environment and provide the best services for investors. All-round support will be offered in terms of new research and development, innovation and entrepreneurship in the district. Comprehensive talent services and supporting special policies on children's schooling, house purchase and medical treatment will be provided. The zone will be a good caretaker for enterprises and talents investing and working in the district by improving the service mechanism and offering targeted services.
