12 Nansha special Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Daily puts innovation at heart of growth drive

An ideal economic model for G20 A local quality inspection officer checks out a product sample. leaders to examine

By Qiu QuanLIn Helping to provide a in [email protected] leading platform for It took only a few years for Guangzhou OED Technologies, a Chinese enterprise engaged international trade in the production of electronic paper, to develop the world’s first graphene electronic paper. By Zhou Mo Such innovation has pro- The company was established in Guangzhou pelled Nansha’s economy to in 2008 in Nansha, a southern [email protected] achieve rapid growth. The district in Guangzhou, the cap- GDP growth rate of the new ital of province. BAR CHARTS (Data are not real)Nansha New Area is work- area has ranked first among “Our major technologi- Compare figures or show trend ing to facilitate international all areas in Guangzhou for 10 cal breakthroughs are due trade through innovation as consecutive quarters, accord- to a number of factors, prin- it aims to build an open and ing to the local government. cipally our increased efforts convenient platform for busi- An increasing number in research and development, nesses from across the globe. of enterprises have been and a sound and healthy busi- The efforts are aimed at attracted to set up offices ness environment, especially in securing increasing trade in Nansha. Official statistics the technology and innovation cooperation with the G20 show that more than 10,800 sector in the booming Nansha Chen Yu, chief executive officer of Guangzhou OED Technologies, examines graphene electric paper. The company, based in , boasts economies, whose leaders enterprises had registered district,” said Chen Yu, chief the world’s first such product. Nansha has taken the lead in technological research in Guangdong province.photos rovided to gathered in for in Nansha in the first year executive officer of Guangzhou an international summit on after it formally became a OED Technologies. economic cooperation. free trade zone in late 2014. Compared with traditional Xie Ming, deputy director of The new area, located in In the first half of this year, HIGH-TECH SECTOR e-papers, e-paper made of the Nansha Development Zone Guangzhou, the capital city the number of newly regis- ON THE UP graphene is more pliable and Administrative Committee. of Guangdong province, is tered enterprises in the area Govt investment in R&D its higher light transmittance Seven local companies have part of the Guangdong Pilot reached 6,005, with regis- means that it produces much also been listed on the New Unit: million Free Trade Zone, which also tered capital hitting 42.9 bil- brighter optical displays, Third Board, or National Equi- 600 532 includes in Shen- lion yuan ($6.4 billion). according to Chen. ties Exchange and Quotation 7.26 times zhen and in Zhu- In addition to introduc- “The new e-paper uses gra- System, which serves as a 400 hai. More than 140 innova- ing innovative measures to phene and is expected to not national share transfer system 200 73 tive achievements have been promote international trade only boost the use of the mate- GuangzhouGuangzhou for small and medium-sized made in Nansha since its in Nansha, the Guangzhou 200 km 0 rial worldwide but also help 100km enterprises to transfer shares official launch as a free trade government has also pledged 2010 2015 expand the commercial scale CHINA DAILY 60km and raise funds. zone in April 2015. to turn the new area into the of the e-paper industry,” said 30km The local government has In one such achievement, city’s sub-center. Local companies’ and Chen. Nansha in recent years introduced a for example, by integrating After returning from the series of supportive and inno- research institutes’ internet technology with tra- United States in 2005, Chen vative measures to encourage investment in R&D ditional customs clearance, as part of GDP 10,800 began working at the Guang- Taishan high-tech industrial develop- Nansha has facilitated swift- zhou-based Sun Yat-sen Uni- ment. 2.1% er and more convenient cus- enterprises Macao versity, where he led a team in The measures have proven 1.3% toms clearance procedures. had registered in Nansha in the research and development effective even amid the eco- The new system cuts out the the first year after it became a of e-paper display technologies. nomic slowdown. need to physically travel to free trade zone in late 2014

“E-paper display technology CHINA DAILY Last year alone, the Nansha customs offices. is of great importance to the district government invested 2010 2015 “Our business has Xuefeng, Party chief process of industrial upgrading 532 million yuan ($79.96 mil- increased 50 percent year- of Guangzhou, said Nansha in the Delta region,” e-readers, electronic shelf according to insiders. lion) in technological research, Patent application on-year thanks to the New Area has the founda- said Chen. labels and other related low- The district, with an area of a more than seven-fold enhancement of (customs) tions and market conditions 1,961 Chen established the com- power display applications. 803 square kilometers, is cur- increase on 2010, according 2000 efficiency,” said Qu Yanqian, necessary to become the pany in 2008 with the support Dozens of high-tech compa- rently developing six technol- local government sources. 6.2 times deputy general manager of city’s sub-center as it pos- 1500 of angel investors in Nansha nies similar to OED Technolo- ogy and innovative bases in The district has now estab- Nansha-based Guangzhou sesses location, ecological 1000 district, which is now part gies have emerged in Nansha its Qingsheng, Mingzhu Bay, lished three national-level 316 Runshun International and policy advantages. It is of the Guangdong Pilot Free in recent years, due to huge Huigu, Wangqingsha, Sanmin laboratories, with 65 innova- 500 Transport Agency Co Ltd. not only part of the Guang- Trade Zone. local government investment Island and the Eastern Pearl tive platforms covering various 0 “An increasing number dong Pilot Free Trade Zone, “The local government has aimed at creating a stable and River areas. engineering and technological 2010 2015 of enterprises have been but also one of the country’s created a sound and healthy nurturing business environ- Within the six innovative projects. attracted to go through cus- national-level . business environment for ment. bases, 76 local high-tech com- According to the local gov- toms in Nansha. As a result, Nansha should seize the tech startups, which has Nansha, which is also a pilot panies engaged in information ernment, an investment fund Patent authorization the number of international opportunity to build the sub- helped us grow at a rapid rate zone for nationwide self-inno- technology, energy-saving and for the innovation industry has shipments has grown con- center, and attract the high- 1500 1,289 and enabled us to develop vation, is positioned to become environmental protection and been established in Nansha, 5.9 times siderably there.” level resources necessary to advanced technologies,” said a base for high-tech and stra- biochemical and pharmaceu- from which 500 million yuan 1000 The new area has also make it a demonstration area Chen. tegic emerging industries, as tical sectors have emerged as will be allocated within the advanced innovation in that leads Guangzhou’s future The company is now one of well as a hub for international catalysts for the local economy. next three years to help intro- 500 218 cross-border e-commerce development, Ren said. the two major electronic paper technology and innovation, “A number of local compa- duce international investment 0 supervision and speeded Mao Yanhua, deputy head display producers and suppli- according to sources with the nies have become industry organizations. 2010 2015 up the process of export tax of the Institute of Free Trade ers in the world, engaged in the local government. leaders, thanks to increased “The investment fund will rebates, shortening the peri- Zones of Sun Yat-Sen Univer- research, development, manu- Nansha might be an ideal investment in technological help support the development Source: Guangzhou Nansha district od from 20 working days to sity, said Nansha has been the facture, assembly and market- model for G20 leaders to exam- research, both from the com- of more SMEs, especially in government just three. geographical center of the ing of thin film electrophoretic ine as they seek innovative panies themselves and the gov- the technology and innovation ZHOU YANG / CHINA DAILY According to a research region, but displays, primarily panels for solutions for their economies, ernment in recent years,” said sector,” said Xie. report by the Institute of the area needs to improve its Free Trade Zones of Sun transportation system. Yat-sen University in Guang- To this end, the govern- zhou, Nansha ranked first in ment has poured 156.1 billion “innovation in trade facili- yuan into 38 large infrastruc- tation systems” among the ture projects in the area in an Company benefits from zone’s supportive initiatives country’s four free trade effort to build a transporta- zones. The other three zones tion network between Nan- By Chai Hua in Guangzhou ping will not only bring its fleet agement company located in are in , and sha, Guangzhou’s city center [email protected] and shipping ability, but also its Nansha, said their order num- Fujian province. and the surrounding areas. cargo source and market. bers have soared from dozens An increasing number of It could also attract related per day to more than 10,000. domestic and international business engaged in the sell- She added the company’s companies are focusing on ing and leasing of vessels and imported goods warehouse Nansha district, part of the insurance to the area, he noted, covering more than 7,000 Guangdong Pilot Free Trade adding that a shipping finan- square meters is constantly full. Zone, in Guangdong province cial center will also be estab- Shipping is just one indus- looking for new businesses lished in the area. try being supported by and development opportunities In order to attract such com- thriving in Nansha New Area, and investments. panies to the Nansha New which has also attracted more As part of the ongoing Area, the local administrative than 530 financial companies, restructuring of State-owned office has formulated a range of including 13 branches estab- enterprises in China, COSCO supportive policies, including a lished by China’s “Big Four” Shipping Bulk Co, formed by Ding Hongdu (left), Nansha Party chief, inks an agreement with shipping industry fund to solve State-owned banks and other the merger of COSCO Bulk COSCO Shipping Bulk. logistics fundraising problems. commercial banks. Carrier Co and China Shipping Ding Hongdu, Party chief of Enterprises engaged in Bulk Carrier Co, is now the Nansha district, said the gov- advanced manufacturing are world’s largest bulk vessel fleet Starting from Nansha, Liu set up its head- ernment has injected 400 mil- setting up in the zone, includ- in terms of both number of ves- said the company will look to quarters in the area. lion yuan into the first stage of ing Gac Toyota Motor Co Ltd, sels and deadweight tonnage. strengthen its business net- Experts believe such large- the fund. which is building a factory The new company was offi- work throughout Europe, Aus- scale projects will continue Improved logistics mea- with a production capacity of cially launched in June in the tralia, Singapore and Japan to attract small-and-medium sures and facilities have helped 220,000 units. Nansha New Area in Guang- while undertaking research to sized companies there. In the attract the more than 870 cross- A number of leading com- zhou, part of the Guangdong explore opportunities in emerg- first half of the year, 6,005 border e-commerce traders panies are currently in discus- Free Trade Zone that was ing markets such as India. companies have registered in that had registered in the area sion with the zone’s authorities established last year. The COSCO Shipping proj- the area with more than 42.92 by the end of June, he said. about establishing operations Liu Hanbo, general manager ect is one of 68 projects billion yuan ($6.4 billion) of Among the traders are a there, including the China State of COSCO Shipping, believes established in the Nansha registered capital. number of domestic e-com- Shipbuilding Corporation, Her- the company will benefit from New Area by 41 Fortune Zheng Tianxiang, profes- merce giants, such as Tmall renknecht AG, a leading Ger- Thumbs up both Guangzhou’s position 500 companies, including sor at the Center for Studies and JD’s e-shop for interna- man manufacturer of tunnel- as an international trade and L’Oreal, which established of Hong Kong, Macao and the tional goods, as well as Suning’s drilling machines. The eventual A Hong Kong couple show their delight at the efficient shipping hub, and its impor- R&D and manufacturing Pearl River Delta at Sun Yat-sen online store. aim is to form an industrial service in Nansha’s duty-free shops. The district, part of the tant position as part of the Belt bases, and China Railway University in Guangzhou, said Li Jinling, vice-president of cluster of high-end manufac- Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone, offers duty-free policies to and Road Initiative. Construction Co Ltd, which the launching of COSCO Ship- Top Ideal, a supply chain man- turing. customers. Products there range from vehicles to household utilities.