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Zhongguancun inspires innovation and entrepreneurship
By Xu Lili ( chinadaily.com.cn )
Updated: 2015-01-29

"We often joke that if a signboard falls down, it would definitely hit 10 college students, but now I would say it will definitely hit 11 entrepreneurs," claimed a veteran entreprenuer Yan Wenwen, founder of GolfSense and WifiPix.

Many entrepreneurs, like Yan, have emerged in Beijing's Zhongguancun in recent years.

About 13,000 high-tech start-ups launched businesses in Zhongguancun last year, twice as much compared to 2013, which represents a new record for years.

The atmosphere of entrepreneurial activities in Zhonguancun increasingly attracted more companies to the area.

In 2014, Zhongguancun enterprises applied for a total of 43,793 patents, up 15.9 percent from previous year, accounting for 31.7 percent of the city's total.

"Innovation depends on what? The answer is entrepreneurship. Most of the world's cutting-edge technologies are developed by those small start-ups with vitality and creativity," said Guo Hong, director of the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee.

"I am not encouraging every young man to start a business instead of studying at school. But I do suggest providing opportunities for those who have dreams, passion, courage and ability to do so. Who cannot say business leaders among them will not become China's Steve Jobs tomorrow?" Guo asked.

He also believes that colleges and universities will become cradles for young entrepreneurs as they begin to offer some entrepreneurship training courses and encourage students to start their own businesses.

Zhongguancun provides a good entrepreneurial environment for small and micro businesses as well as grassroots entrepreneurs.

With this unique advantage, Zhongguancun is set to turn into a globally influential science and technology innovation center.