Guizhou recently gained approval from the National Development and Reform Commission to set up the country’s first big data engineering laboratory.

The lab is expected to help improve government’s management efficiency by applying big data technology to decision making processes, clean government supervision, social management and public services.

Guizhou province is the country’s first pilot zone for big data and has rolled out projects in a variety of industries. Its capital, Guiyang, has been making a name for itself in the field of big data by issuing policies and strategies, and hosting a big data expo in 2015 and 2016.

The city spent more than 3 billion yuan ($484 million) on information infrastructure in 2015. Big data has been applied to help develop the economy, manage government affairs and improve people’s livelihood.

Edited by Jacob Hooson