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The Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone – the Silicon
Valley-like industrial zone in Hefei, capital of Anhui province – is
welcoming new co-development opportunities with the University of
Science and Technology of China (USTC). The 2021 Anhui government work report listed improving scientific and
technological innovation capability as a priority and proposed building
the "USTC Silicon Valley" for the first time to achieve this goal. USTC is a major source of sci-tech innovation in Hefei. By building
the USTC Silicon Valley, the provincial and the municipal government and
the university will cooperate to support USTC teachers and alumni to
start businesses and incubate their sci-tech achievements in USTC's
surrounding area. The Hefei high-tech zone will become the core area of the USTC
Silicon Valley. The zone and USTC have been benefiting from mutual
cooperation for years. Attracted to the zone's business environment,
many USTC talents became tech entrepreneurs there, and their innovative
achievements have turned the zone into a high-tech industrial cluster
with unique competitiveness. According to the zone's plan, the Hefei high-tech zone area of USTC
Silicon Valley will include a sci-tech innovation belt around USTC and
three sections for high-end R&D, incubation of sci-tech achievements
and a sci-tech industrial cluster. The local government will strengthen efforts in building a highland
for innovation by speeding up the construction of the new USTC campus in
the zone, enhancing financial support for sci-tech innovation and
boosting the development of local scientific institutes. Liu Qingfeng, a doctoral graduate of USTC, is one of the earliest
USTC entrepreneurs in the zone. His company, iFLYTEK, is currently one
of China's leading AI companies. Driven by iFLYTEK, China Speech Valley,
China's first industrial park in the AI field, was established in the
zone. "If you have a dream and are eager to make it a reality, come here!
We can work together and share our dreams in Hefei high-tech zone," Liu
once said. In addition to China Speech Valley, the Hefei high-tech zone also
features a Quantum Center which is home to a number of quantum
technology companies engaged in key tech fields such as quantum
communication, quantum computing and quantum precision measurement. Pan Jianwei, the top Chinese quantum scientist and executive
vice-president of USTC, recalled: "When we came to the zone in 2009,
they offered full support that has guaranteed the industrial application
of quantum technology." Professor Pan and his USTC team established China's first company
that industrialized quantum technology in an entrepreneurship park in
the zone.
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