SPOTLIGHT ON XI’AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

A hardcore innovator The city of Xi’an is PROMOTING HARD & CORE TECHNOLOGY to reinvent itself as a global centre for technological .

Technological “We need to find a new engine © TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY are changing our lives and for growth in technological transforming the world, as innovation,” said Mi. “We countries around the world look believe hard & core technology to develop their economies. will lead the world in the next 30 Xi’an, the ancient capital city years, and it is important for us of northwest China’s Shaanxi to develop these technologies province, is reinventing itself as ourselves, ensuring their a global high-tech centre and intellectual property.” will host the Global Hard & Core Hard & core technology Technology Innovation and differs from deep technology, the Belt and Road Innovative which typically refers to Cooperation Conference 2018 disruptive technologies with © MirageC/GETTY IMAGES

to attract investment in this high impact, trying to solve © Yuichiro Chino/GETTY IMAGES new field. The conference is in big issues. When David line with the national ‘Belt and Rothenberg, a philosophy Road’ initiative to boost science professor at the New Jersey typically has a clear product for the technologies for rocket Government is committed technology industries, with design. The R&D and pharmaceutical companies, a and technology collaboration Institute of Technology, first orientation and an identified recovery and landing on Mars, to boosting its hard & core solid research and industrial manufacturing of the C919, graphene industrial base, a new in countries along the ancient proposed the deep technology industrial basis, helps improve they fall in the category of deep technology industries and has basis in the eight fields. For China’s industrial breakthrough energy car production base, Silk Road. concept in 1995, he referred product performance and is able technology or black technology, invested heavily in these fields. example, a spin-off of Xi’an in the field of short- or several CAS institutes and a to technologies that bring us to lead and support industrial according to Mi. There are rewards for Institute of Optics and Precision medium-range passenger high-tech zone. A roadmap is Understanding hard & core closer to nature. Now, the development. Hard & core Other examples include incubators of hard & core Mechanics of CAS, incubated jets, is another typical laid out for developing photonic technology term is frequently used for technology is also different from high-speed train technology, technology industries, by Casstar, developed a example of the application integrated circuits, novel ‘Hard & core technology’, a tech companies founded on the internet-based innovation quantum communication supporting facilities and talent femtosecond fibre laser for of hard & core technology. It memory chips, titanium or concept coined in 2010 by tangible engineering innovation which creates a virtual world. “It technology, which is between for start-ups in these sectors. ultrafast, high-precision involves the use of advanced titanium alloy products, high- Mi Lei, founder of Casstar, an or scientific advances and focuses on our physical world,” hard & core technology and In 2017, the Xi’an government drilling, filling a technological composite materials and efficiency single crystalline incubator and an discoveries, rather than said Mi. “It is the engine that deep tech, and driverless hosted the inaugural Global gap in China. This micro nano aluminium-lithium alloys for photovoltaic cells with an based in Xi’an and Beijing, business model or other drives industrial growth.” vehicle technology, which Hard & Core Technology processing technology, an building aircraft body, and the annual capacity of 500 MW, 3D refers to core technologies innovations. In Mi’s view, Mi, who holds a doctorate involves laser radar and Innovation Conference, which important aspect in intelligent latest dynamics research for manufacturing of metals and that are more advanced and such technologies entail great in , offers examples autonomous driving systems. gathered global experts, leading manufacturing, used in designing the body. other hard & core technologies. cutting-edge than high-tech. uncertainty. Thus, he proposed of hard & core technology, All of these have great researchers, tech company aerospace engineering, will In the AI field, Xi’an Jiao “Hard & core technology They typically require long- a term that puts a greater encompassing artificial industrial potential. chiefs and investors to discuss enable China to manufacture Tong University houses an is the propeller for Xi’an’s term investment, a long emphasis on core technologies intelligence (AI), aerospace, latest breakthroughs and aircraft engines with its own AI research institute and the ongoing industrial upgrade and R&D cycle, and have a high based on basic science. photonic chips, bio-technology, Promoting hard & core trends. With support from the intellectual property rights. Northwestern Polytechnical economic transformation,” threshold for entry, which make “Developing such technologies information technology, technologies in Xi’an government and the Chinese The Northwestern University boasts strong said Mi. “It is also the tool that such technologies hard to requires toughness and a new materials, alternative The eight major fields that Academy of Sciences (CAS), Polytechnical University in Xi’an research capacity in drone enables us to change the world duplicate and imitate. But these down-to-earth spirit, which energy, and intelligent represent hard & core technology a white paper was released, has participated in planning technology. In , and our future.” technologies also bring in good characterize many Shaanxi manufacturing. In the field of are focal points of national outlining the current landscape the overall design of the C919, Xi’an has a national centre returns. entrepreneurs,” said Mi. aerospace engineering, drone importance. National, provincial of hard & core technology, its China’s first domestically on molecular medicine and Since the 2008 financial Hard & core technology quadcopters are an example of and local government funds have development and investment, manufactured large passenger translational science and the crisis, it has become clear that is also more tangible and high tech, but manufacturing been poured into these sectors and opportunities for jet, and contributed to solving technology to create bionic China’s demographic dividend applicable, as compared to black large aircraft and launching in recent years. To catch this developing its eight fields. problems in the power, control bones using three-dimensional is not enough to rely on, and technology, which has a futuristic rockets or satellites require wave of science and technology Xi’an is well positioned and micro-electromechanical (3D) printing. Xi’an houses two the country needs to diversify. connotation. The former, hard & core technology. As innovation, the Xi’an Municipal to develop hard & core systems, as well as structural important airbases, several big www.ghctc.com.cn

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GHCTC_RD.indd 1 18/10/29 下午2:14 GHCTC_RD.indd 2 18/10/29 下午2:14 Hosted by the Xi’an Municipal Government and organized by Xi’an Science and Technology Bureau, Casstar and Zero2IPO Group, the Global Hard & Core Technology Innovation and the Belt and Road Innovative Cooperation Conference 2018 is to be held in Xi’an, China November 8-11. The theme this year is “Hard & Core Technology: Develop Xi’an, Change the World, and Win the Future”.

A global conference for technology innovation The conference will gather Nobel laureates, renowned scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, opinion leaders and entrepreneurs from global and national technology industries and investors to discuss cutting-edge science trends. With talks on topics including (AI), aerospace, photonic chips, bio-technology, information technology, new materials, alternative energy, and intelligent manufacturing, the conference aims to promote the commercialization of research by bridging technologies with capital and the market. It seeks to inspire greater technological innovations and foster international collaborations.

Broad activities Apart from 20-plus sessions, the conference will also feature an industrial expo showcasing cutting- edge technologies developed in Xi’an and around the world. A whitepaper on the development of hard & core technologies and guidelines for investment in the field will be released. Innovation contests will be held to encourage greater youth participation.