ZONE TO CREATE SUPERIOR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Weifang puts its weight behind providing better support for enterprises

Weifang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone has vowed to create a superior environment for businesses to attract more startups and innovative companies.

Weifang Conqueren Bioscience& Technology, which specializes in developing immune, nutritious and functional additives for aquatic products, is a beneficiary of the zone's support.

Yu Hairui, founder of Conqueren, said the company needs expensive equipment like atomic absorption spectrometers to carry out experimental analysis and tests. Companies will face big financial burdens if they have to purchase all of the equipment.

By using the zone's biomedicine public technological support and pilot platforms, which are equipped with the most advanced equipment, Conqueren saved huge on costs and achieved outstanding results.

The platforms also helped Conqueren to save on testing expenses. Yu said companies previously had to send their samples to research institutes like Ocean University of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences for testing and analysis, which was an inconvenience and incurred extra costs. On top of that, for companies with numerous tests, the platforms' staff members can provide on-site services.

"The Weifang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is a national-level high-tech zone, which provides the best policies for talent and projects," Yu said, adding the quality of services and government work efficiency also quite support companies' success in the zone.

Shandong Tianrui Heavy Industry in the zone is another iconic company that has reported strong growth in recent years.

Li Yongsheng, chairman of Tiuanrui, was invited to the zone as a professional. The company, which began with only 20 staff members in 2010, has unlocked strong growth potential and expanded into a business with asset value of nearly 200 million yuan ($29.83 million). Many of its technological upgrade projects have been named as provincial-level innovative programs. The company is also one of top three rock drilling machine makers in China.

"The premium business environment of the zone contributed to the success of Tianrui," Li said.

According to Li, the zone's professional supportive policies is a plus for the company to attract overseas research teams.

The company has created partnerships with research and development teams from the United Kingdom and South Korea.

In August, Tianrui signed an agreement with a company from South Korea to establish a maglev technology development center in Weifang. Some of its products, including the maglev high-speed motor, have entered into the industrialization process.

The zone has decided to invest 300 million yuan to build a maglev industrial park. Shandong Startup Investment Fund is also planning to invest 1 billion yuan in this project, according to the zone government.

Li said he is confident the company can achieve better results and grow to be an industrial leader thanks to the support from so many parties.

Professional service enhancement has also been a key task of the zone. Makerspaces - collaborative work space for innovative young people, incubators and accelerators - have been established to help businesses solve problems and cultivate professionals.

Currently, the zone has 114 provincial-level R&D centers, five national-level incubators, nine provincial-level incubators and seven national-level makerspaces.

(China Daily 04/27/2019 page23)