City thriving as cradle of high-tech innovation in Southwest China
From policy support to the improvement of the innovation ecosystem, Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province has conducted in-depth implementation of an innovation-driven development strategy in recent years.
The initiative has stimulated the innovation vitality of local sci-tech enterprises, and also injected strong impetus into the city's high-quality development, local officials said.
With its construction of a sci-tech innovation center with national influence, Chengdu is becoming an important source of innovation in China and a hot spot for sci-tech enterprises to make investments.
On Nov 30, for example, a groundbreaking ceremony for a 25-gigawatt solar photovoltaic cell and 20 GW solar module project took place in Chengdu, with fixed asset investment reaching 10.5 billion yuan ($1.47 billion). It is a project of Tongwei Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tongwei Group.
A global leader in the fields of high-purity crystalline silicon and solar cells, the group this year made the list of Fortune Global 500 companies for the first time.
The growth of Tongwei Group has also driven the rapid rise of the photovoltaic industry in Chengdu.
Zhou Hua, general manager of Tongwei Solar, said the company's products are mainly exported to Turkiye, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and some areas in Southeast Asia.
With the economy recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing shortage of energy resources, the demand for new energy products in overseas markets continues to grow.
In the first three quarters, Tongwei Solar exported 5.1 GW of high-efficiency crystalline silicon cell sheets, an increase of 30 percent year-on-year, with the total export volume exceeding $620 million.
Zhou said Chengdu has always been focusing on building high-level innovation platforms and systems, to better integrate innovation resources and support industrial development with greater efforts.
The city has also carried out various measures to help enterprises overcome technical problems. It has issued a series of preferential policies to support sci-tech companies and talent teams, and boost technological achievement transformation.
"In recent years, Chengdu has continuously optimized the ecosystem for sci-tech achievement transformation by combining such elements as talent, enterprises, universities, research institutions, and investment," Zhou said.
Such efforts have helped Tongwei Solar successfully industrialize its achievements from lab data to actual products, boosting the market application of scientific and technological advances, he added.
For battery production, the core technical difficulty still lies in improving the battery conversion efficiency. Given this background, Zhou said Tongwei Solar plans to build a global research and development center in the city's Shuangliu district. The center will carry out research on high-efficiency crystalline silicon cells and materials, as well as high-reliability modules, photovoltaic testing and analysis, and new technologies.
The company will also organize a global partner conference and other industry exchange meetings, and proactively participate in the industry exhibitions and forums to explore the cutting-edge technology and development directions in the photovoltaic field.
A partner of Tongwei Solar, Chengdu Guibao Science and Technology is one of the first enterprises in the industry to apply new organic silicon materials to the photovoltaic sector.
Established in 1998, the company has grown into a specialized manufacturer of organic silicone sealants, which have a wide range of application scenarios.
It has obtained more than 320 intellectual property rights, and was listed on China's Growth Enterprise Market in 2009 with an outstanding performance in manufacturing.
The company can now annually produce 25,000 metric tons of photovoltaic-used sealants, and maintains sound cooperation with some leading photovoltaic enterprises such as LONGi Green Energy Technology and JA Solar Technology. The products have been exported to India, Turkiye and other countries and regions.
In the coming years, Guibao said it will implement a diversified development strategy centered on the new material industry, and adhere to a business pattern which takes organic silicon materials as its core, to provide high-end supporting materials for national pillar industries and strategic emerging sectors.
The company also plans to continuously improve its technological innovation capability and promote sustainable development. The aim is to develop Guibao into a well-known international brand, according to the company.
Xgimi Technology, another high-tech company based in Chengdu, designs and manufactures high-performance multifunctional smart projectors and laser televisions.
According to IDC's tracking report on China's projector market in the second quarter of this year, Xgimi has won first place in terms of shipments for five and a half consecutive years.
Since 2018, the company has exported products to more than 100 countries and regions including Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan and the United States.
"As a local brand, Xgimi has benefited from the city's good business environment and industrial support policies," said the company head.
Recently, Xgimi has been exploring the combination of projection technology with home furnishings, so the technology can be better integrated into the users' daily lives. The company head believes that in the future, smart projectors can not only meet the needs of users, but also predict the needs of users and proactively provide their desired content.
"We will further increase investment in R&D, strengthen independent innovation, and develop a more diversified product portfolio," he said. Also, while maintaining first place in the domestic market, Xgimi will also pour more resources into overseas markets.
Data from the Chengdu science and technology bureau showed that the total number of high-tech enterprises in Chengdu increased to 11,500 in 2022, up 45 percent year-on-year.
haonan@chinadaily.com.cn
