Science city set to drive China's new economy

Chengdu Science City aims to build research and development platforms and a technological transformation center.

The city has attracted a number of leading global universities, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Sichuan University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Tongji University and Stanford University.

Tsinghua University established an 'energy internet' research institute at the Tianfu New Area, China's 11th national-level development area, in March 2016, following the signing of an energy cooperation agreement between the university and Sichuan province a year earlier.

The energy internet, also referred to as Internet Plus Smart Energy, focuses on integrating energy production, transmission, storage and consumption with the market and the internet.

"The institute will work as a platform for Tsinghua University to conduct cooperation with Sichuan province and also as a gateway for the university to bring in innovative resources on the energy internet to the province from around the world," said Zhou Xiangyu, associate director of the general office at Tsinghua University's Sichuan Energy Internet Research Institute.

Zhou said the institute will eventually have three office buildings beside Xinglonghu Lake in the science city. Some research teams have already moved into the first building, which covers 3,000 square meters. The other two buildings, each covering 10,000 sq m, are currently under construction.

The institute is scheduled to bring in 20 more research teams this year, Zhou said

It is also conducting a pioneering research program, called the Internet Plus smart energy (Energy Internet) demonstration project outlined by the National Energy Administration, Zhou said.

The program will develop a new mechanism for energy management and exchange.

The institute has attracted researchers in the energy internet field from both China and overseas.

Pan Siming, who got his bachelor's degree at Tsinghua University and doctorate degree at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in the United States, came to Chengdu with his research team last year. Pan has previously worked at both Cisco Systems and Apple.

Having already established a company in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to develop wireless charging technology, Pan was struck by Chengdu's many advantages when he paid a visit to the city.

"Chengdu has so many good universities that offer a rich talent pool," he said. "There is also a much lower employee turnover rate in Chengdu, which is of great benefit to a startup."

Pan added that the comparatively low labor costs in the city and the support offered by local governments to technology companies had also impressed him.

He had established a wireless power transmission and electromagnetic technique research center based on the Sichuan Energy Internet Research Institute.

His startup company, which currently employs 50 people, is valued at between 300 million yuan ($43.57 million) and 500 million yuan.

(China Daily 04/05/2017 page12)