Guangdong raises its game

Province moves to innovation-and consumption-driven economy

When the world's fastest supercomputer, Tianhe-2, was introduced last year to Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, many scientists and researchers believed it would help boost innovation and upgrade traditional industries in the southern province.

"Like many urban infrastructure projects such as expressways, the supercomputer will help build a driving force for construction of an innovation-oriented economy in Guangdong, which has long been labeled as one of the major manufacturing bases in the world," says Wang Jian, the president of BGI, a biotech company in Shenzhen.