IP Scene
1 Liaoning
1.75 billion yuan high-tech recycling center
A recycling center to be built in Liaozhong county of Shenyang, capital of the northeastern province, will be the nation's first dedicated to technologies used in dismantling and processing junk and used products.
The 133-hectare site is expected to attract recycling research institutions and businesses from home and abroad.
The 1.75 billion yuan center will provide technical and industrial support for recycled use of 3 million tons of scrap metals, 1.1 million tons of waste paper and 900,000 tons of used plastics and rubber generated in the city annually.
2 Hebei
Teachers, students join 'originality competition'
Provincial tryouts for the eighth Network Originality Competition (NOC) started in early April in Shijiazhuang, capital of the northern province. Some 300 teachers and students attended the opening ceremony.
The annual nationwide competition, the first of its kind in the country, aims to promote application and innovation in information technology in primary and secondary education. It has attracted more than 23 million teacher and student participants since it was founded in 2002.
"Through a variety of competitions like making webpages, animations, short videos and robotics, we seek to inspire student interest in innovation and encourage teachers to use information technology in their teaching," said Wang Liming, deputy head of the organizing committee office.
Regional tryouts have also started in Tianjin and Liaoning province. This year's final is planned for Wuxi, Jiangsu province in May.
3 Shandong
Volunteers aid intellectual property awareness
The province's first intellectual property volunteer team recently began working in the coastal city Qingdao.
Led by the Laoshan District Intellectual Property Office and the district committee of the Communist Youth League, the team is mostly composed of local college and university students.
Volunteers will spread intellectual property knowledge, especially among managerial and R&D personnel, help with patent applications and provide other services.
Students will benefit from improved knowledge and experience gained through the volunteer activities, organizers said.
4 Sichuan
High-speed maglev train cars set for Shanghai metro
The nation's first locally made high-speed magnetic levitating (maglev) train was finished last Thursday in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern province.
Developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group, the train, which can reach speeds of 500 kilometers an hour, will be put into operation in the Shanghai metro system.
The aircraft maker has undertaken research and development of maglev trains since 2004. It signed a deal for the train cars with Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co Ltd in July 2008 and made delivery 20 months later.
5 Shaanxi
Contest to encourage agricultural innovation
The first competition in agricultural innovation and company startup recently began in the northern region.
The eight-month event plans to attract world-class agricultural technological innovation teams from around the globe to work on high-tech, eco-friendly projects that will develop new paths to modern agriculture.
With participants divided into two groups - growing companies and startup projects - the competition is holding tryouts in two southern and northern regions.
6 Ningxia
Illegal use of geographical data in maps, websites
Local authorities have investigated more than 80 geographical information organizations since 2009 and found three cases of illegal use.
With increased demand for tourism maps, car positioning systems and remote satellite sensing maps, illegal collection and processing of geographical data, pirated maps and abuse of geographical data on websites is growing.
The local land resource administration in cooperation with other governmental departments mounted the yearlong campaign to crack down on illegal acts in collection, provision, use, production, publication and transportation of geographical information.
(China Daily 04/14/2010 page17)
