Tech R&D center a testament to Tianjin's revitalization

A 38-year-old underutilized commercial complex beside Tianjin's Sancha River Estuary has been renovated into a professional research base for a State-owned company, standing as a vivid showcase of Tianjin's systematic urban renewal, homegrown high-end equipment innovation, and coordinated industrial development across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Binshui Plaza was originally built in 1988 and once housed restaurants, hotels, and office rentals, yet slipped into low-efficiency operation amid aging facilities and outdated business formats.

Zhongxuan Zhikong (Tianjin) Technology Co — a subsidiary of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group Beijing Huayu Engineering Co — set up its Tianjin R&D center here in 2022.

"Talent recruitment has become far more efficient after we settled in Hongqiao district," Geng Yanbing, deputy general manager of the firm, said.

The company has recruited over 20 masters and PhD researchers locally, forming a complete in-house R&D team.

Its self-developed intelligent coal sorting expert system replaces traditional manual adjustment, realizing precise, data-driven automatic control over coal washing procedures — breaking long-term reliance on imported intelligent control hardware.

The enterprise is shifting from pure engineering service providers to a dual-track development model of "independent R&D products + general contracting projects".

Revitalizing the aging building was no simple task, as the project confronted unprecedented institutional hurdles. Multiple government departments in Hongqiao district jointly rolled out coordinated solutions, including property right unification, land parcel combination, and tenant resettlement, clearing all administrative barriers to activate the idle space.

Official statistics show Hongqiao revitalized nearly 65,000 square meters of vacant commercial space in the first half of this year, bringing in more than 100 million yuan ($14.8 million) in newly added industrial revenue.

Boasting convenient access to Tianjinxi Railway Station, the base shortens transportation links with the firm's Beijing headquarters and nationwide industrial partners, fully leveraging the advantages of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integrated innovation.

Li Hangyu contributed to this story.