Chongqing, Singapore to join hands on sci-tech innovation benchmark project

Chongqing Liangjiang New Area and Singapore will collaborate to establish a benchmark park for international cooperation in sci-tech innovation. This is according to the recent action plan for national-level new areas that was released by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Liangjiang New Area is the third national-level opening-up and development area in China following Shanghai Pudong and Tianjin Binhai. [Photo Yang Qifan]

This new park is set to deepen collaboration with ASEAN countries in industries, infrastructure, and green development.

Sci-tech innovation is the driving force behind high-quality development, which is a key focus for this China-Singpore cooperation. An exemplary case is the National University of Singapore (Chongqing) Research Institute, which is located in Liangjiang New Area. The institute has conducted extensive cooperation with Liangjiang in regards to sci-tech innovation, industry incubation, and talent fostering. Since 2022, more than 60 Ph.D. students have joined the institute for scientific research purposes.

"I am confident this project will become a world-class park for sci-tech innovation," said Wang Jiagong, dean of the NUS (Chongqing) Research Institute.

This benchmark park is a chance for China and Singapore to join hands in sci-tech research, commercialization, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It will achieve a win-win scenario by enabling resource sharing and collaborative innovation.

Deepening current cooperation and improving communication channels are among the major functions of the benchmark park, said Wang. In 2021, the institute opened BLOCK71 Chongqing, an industrial center aiming to promote China-Singapore exchanges and facilitate the commercialization of sci-tech achievements. With focuses on advanced manufacturing and materials, smart sensors and artificial intelligence, finance and financial risk management, and modern logistics, BLOCK71 Chongqing has incubated nearly 30 high-tech companies.

The institute will work with Liangjiang on smart manufacturing, new energy, advanced materials, bio-medicine, and next-generation electronic technology, according to Wang.

"Singapore has a lot of experience in innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital economic development, while Chongqing is making efforts to build a sci-tech center with national influence. The two sides have big room for cooperation in the sci-tech field," said Xing Yuewen, director of the Liangjiang Science and Technology Innovation Bureau.

Liangjiang has been serving as a core carrier of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI) since the project was inaugurated in 2015. As of 2023, the new area has signed 61 cooperative projects with a total investment of $10.98 billion, accounting for 21 percent and 43 percent of the municipality's total.