Hubei boosts tailored support for startups

China is expanding its network of high-tech industrial parks to drive innovation and new economic growth, with projects in Hubei province, including the youth pioneer park in Wuhan's Optics Valley, emerging as key platforms for research, entrepreneurship and advanced manufacturing.

The Hubei Youth Pioneer Park in the Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, also known as Optics Valley of China — jointly developed by the Communist Youth League of Hubei, the development zone and Huazhong University of Science and Technology — has become a vibrant hub for young entrepreneurs.

Covering 19,000 square meters with incubation and acceleration facilities, the park provides startups with a full-chain support system ranging from training and mentorship to financing and market access.

Backed by provincial programs such as "Talent Gathering in Hubei "and "Students Stay in Wuhan", the park has incubated 254 enterprises and teams so far, including 61 founded by college graduates within five years of graduation.

"The Hubei Youth Pioneer Park offers particularly strong support for college students, providing services such as rent reductions, funding connections and policy guidance to help startups grow," said Wang Jie, general manager of Wuhan Qianda Intelligent Technology Co Ltd, a company based in the park.

Founded in 2023, the company focuses on embedded software and hardware development for high-temperature gas sensors used in vehicles and industrial environments, as well as humidity analyzers.

All of the products are independently developed, from materials to smart control systems, he said, adding that the company's high-temperature ammonia sensor has already reached a leading level in China.

Looking ahead, Wang said the company plans to expand into areas such as semiconductor ceramic heater controls and low-temperature sensors to further broaden its market presence.

"Qianda is just one of many innovation-driven startups here," said Xu Jie, chairman of the Hubei Youth Pioneer Park in Optics Valley.

By offering a services chain that combines co-working space, incubation and acceleration, the park provides tailored support to companies at different stages of growth. To date, it has nurtured 254 youth-led enterprises and teams in sectors such as optoelectronics, healthcare and artificial intelligence.

"We have also provided more than 100 targeted services to help startups go global, supporting their expansion into international markets," Xu said, adding that the park will continue to safeguard enterprises' overseas ambitions and help more hard-tech companies step onto the global stage.

Sharing the same goal of empowering startups, the Wuhan Institute of Industrial Innovation and Development focuses on helping companies grow stronger as they scale up.

Established in 2021 and officially operational since 2022, the institute is one of Hubei province's most high-profile new research entities.

It has rapidly evolved into a hub linking universities, leading enterprises and investment institutions, channeling resources into fields such as optoelectronics, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

"Compared with industrial investment institutions, the institute places equal emphasis on economic and social benefits. Focusing on the development needs of the industrial sector in Wuhan, it supports the growth of more earlystage hard-tech projects and helps scientific and technological innovation enterprises achieve success in market competition and commercial operations," said Wang Huizhong, deputy director of the institute.

The institute also focuses on full-cycle support, the commercialization of key technologies and the creation of an innovation ecosystem.

By establishing innovation units, the institute guides the flow of capital into areas such as technology transfer, industrial incubation and technological breakthroughs, stimulating innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises, Wang added.

Today, the institute hosts more than 90 research institutes, corporate innovation centers and public service platforms, forming a rainforest-like ecosystem where ideas are nurtured, capital converges and young entrepreneurs find fertile ground.

The institute's ecosystem is not only limited to Wuhan. Its model of linking research with industry is also taking root in Yichang, Hubei, where abundant green energy is fueling the rise of computing power and the digital economy.

Known as the "world capital of clean energy", Yichang boasts a wealth of green power resources that provide a solid foundation for the development of the city's computing power industry.

The Hubei provincial government has placed strong emphasis on developing Yichang's computing power sector. In its three-year action plan (2023-25) for accelerating the development of computing power and big data, it pledged support for Yichang to establish itself as a national hub for the "East-to-West Computing Resource Transfer" project, guiding the construction of new data centers in Yichang.

A key carrier of this strategy is the Beidou industrial park project in Yichang's Dianjun district, which serves as a vital platform for big data and computing power applications.

With an investment of nearly 3 billion yuan ($421.8 million), the park builds on Yichang's existing digital economy and focuses on Beidou satellite applications, promotion and commercialization. It aims to attract high-tech industries to the district.

"So far, the park has attracted more than 20 enterprises, including QuikTech Co Ltd, as well as five research institutions. The first 20 enterprises to move in are starting renovations and equipment installation alongside the construction process," said Xie Xiao, chairman of Yichang Jinhui Big Data Industry Development Co Ltd, one of the park's main investors.

Among them is QuikTech, which set up its R&D and production base in Dianjun in late 2022.

The Beijing-based company is a national-level high-tech enterprise driven by AI and robotics, focusing on intelligent solutions for life sciences. It provides automation and smart manufacturing systems for industries such as chemical materials and pharmaceuticals.

According to Lin Yanwen, vice-president of QuikTech, the Yichang base will serve as a vertical hub for AI- and robotics-driven applications, particularly in smart laboratory robotics and industrial education robots for the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.

"We aim to use AI and robotics to enhance productivity in scientific research and manufacturing. The company is already collaborating with local firms to deploy AI-driven chemical robots for experiments, observation and analysis, directly empowering food and drug manufacturing while helping reduce costs," Lin said.

"The establishment of projects like the Beidou industrial park not only expands Dianjun's computing power scale, but also attracts enterprises across the value chain, creating a strong cluster effect that greatly accelerates the industry's growth," said Fan Baichuan, deputy director of the Dianjun industrial park administrative committee.

Fan said the core output value of Dianjun's computing economy has risen by more than 20 percent, strengthening the influence of its "computing power economy" brand.

Contact the writers at yinmingyue@chinadaily.com.cn