Science innovation zone starts overall construction

Writer: Zhang Yu  | Editor: Holly Wang  | From: Shenzhen Daily | Updated: 2019-11-25

Construction of two facilities in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science Innovation Zone, namely Shenzhen-Hong Kong Open Innovation Center and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Sci-tech Innovation Comprehensive Service Center, as well as the 14 surrounding satellite parks and supporting projects, started Friday, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

With a total investment of more than 61.5 billion yuan (US$8.73 billion), the projects are expected to add 1.74 million square meters of new space for scientific research and industrial development upon completion.

The start of the projects also signals the construction of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science Innovation Zone and that a new platform for Shenzhen to build a comprehensive national science center has been made available.

Shenzhen Party chief Wang Weizhong attended the groundbreaking ceremony and announced the commencement of the projects. Shenzhen Mayor Chen Rugui delivered a speech at the ceremony.

Chen said strengthening the cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in scientific and technological innovation and building a comprehensive national science center are special measures and important tasks for Shenzhen at present.

Chen noted that the most advanced concepts, the best technologies, the best programs and the highest standards are required to speed up the development and construction of the innovation zone in an all-round way and open a new chapter for deepening reform and opening up.

The two centers that started construction Friday are a new batch of projects in the Shenzhen park area after the Huanggang Checkpoint reconstruction project began at the end of June.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Open Innovation Center, located at the west wing of the Shenzhen park area, is the first new project to be built in Futian Free Trade Zone, while the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Sci-tech Innovation Comprehensive Service Center is the first urban renewal project within the park.

The two centers will add about 300,000 square meters of high-quality space for scientific research in the Shenzhen park area.

Along with the four major scientific research platforms that have already been built in the city, the two centers will form the core start-up area in the Shenzhen park area, providing about 670,000 square meters of space to attract high-end scientific research resources.

The 14 satellite parks and supporting projects launched concurrently will make full use of the spatial resources and the advantages of finance and professional service industries in the city to support the collaborative innovation and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.