BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Notable progress has been made in the construction of China's three international sci-tech innovation centers, namely the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with their role as strategic pillars in building China's scientific and technological strength continuing to grow, an expert said on Wednesday.
Liu Dongmei, Party secretary of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, made the remarks during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, home to the Zhongguancun Science Park, boasts the highest concentration of universities, research institutes and laboratories in the country, with its regional basic research capabilities consistently ranking first nationwide, Liu said, adding that the number of highly cited scientists ranks first among global cities.
In the Yangtze River Delta, R&D expenditure accounts for about one-third of the national total, and the number of R&D personnel is also close to one-third of the country's total, Liu said.
The region features a relatively complete industrial supporting system and a high conversion rate for original innovation achievements. The scale of its three leading industries -- integrated circuits, biomedicine and artificial intelligence -- accounts for three-fifths, one-third and one-third of the national total respectively. Inter-provincial technology contract transactions increased by three times in five years, demonstrating robust cross-regional collaboration.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area stands out for its high degree of internationalization and strong market vitality, with industrial clusters in the digital economy and advanced manufacturing continuing to expand, Liu added.
She stressed notable achievements of China's international sci-tech innovation center construction, citing Innovation Cluster Ranking 2025, a report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, in which the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranks first globally, Beijing ranks fourth, and the Shanghai-Suzhou cluster ranks sixth.
The Central Economic Work Conference's strategic call to expand the construction of these centers marks a shift from breakthroughs in individual cities to a path of coordinated regional development, Liu said. ■
