Xi'an Hi-tech Zone ready for progress, investment

Technology and a solid financial foundation allow the Xi'an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone to continuously develop economically, local authorities said.

More than 120,000 companies have registered in the Xi'an high-tech zone, mostly across three leading sectors.

Electronic information focuses on semiconductors and software information, modern manufacturing centers on new energy vehicles and biopharmaceutical companies, while modern finance and cultural creativity are the key of modern services.

Thanks to the solid industrial foundation of Xi'an, the zone has attracted 115 Fortune Global 500 enterprises and leading multinationals like Samsung, Siemens, Honeywell, Intel, Emerson, IBM and General Electric, 2,000 foreign-invested enterprises and 1,926 high-tech businesses.

Plenty of quality enterprises are playing a more prominent role in contributing to the local economy, authorities said.

Xi'an boasts an excellent scientific research capacity as it is home to many leading universities and institutes, including Xi'an Jiaotong University and Northwestern Polytechnical University.

That reputation has allowed the zone to establish an innovative system involving companies, industry-university-research cooperation and diverse online service platforms.

It has set up a guidance fund for strategic emerging industries worth 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) and a fund for industrial development and mergers and acquisitions worth 15 billion yuan.

The zone is home to more than 100 diverse financial platforms and more than 30 scientific and technological incubators. Startup in Xian, which opened in October 2014, is a representative of the zone's innovation incubators. With 3,000-square-meter incubation space, it provides startups with offices, multi-functional meeting rooms, a display hall and high-speed private wire network.

Some functional areas have been established in the zone, including a software park, an entrepreneurship park, a communications industry park, a comprehensive bonded zone and an international community.

Local media reported the region's development depends on projects in the short term, on policies in the medium term and on the development environment in the long term. Only a favorable environment can attract more companies and professionals, it said.

At this year's Silk Road International Exposition, investment projects worth more than 200 billion yuan were signed in the zone. That's not only because the zone boasts industries and professionals, but also because it offers an attractive development environment.

The zone has long improved the business environment by providing policy guarantee and diverse services. A representative from the zone said at the expo it will offer "five-star" service to entrepreneurs to make them invest, start businesses and work at ease in the zone.

The convenient transportation system, numerous scientific research institutes and the brand image brought by Fortune Global 500 enterprises embody the zone's strength.

Electronic science and technology companies like Samsung and Huawei and internet companies including Alibaba help the zone attract brilliant professionals. Hotels such as Ritz-Carlton and Shangri-La offer five-star hospitality. The zone said it is well-prepared to welcome startups and other companies.

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