Science park centering on Zhejiang Lab inaugurated in Hangzhou

Zhejiang government officials attend the inauguration ceremony of the science park in Yuhang district, Hangzhou, Dec 28. [Photo by Liang Zhen/zjol.com.cn]

Zhejiang province inaugurated the construction of a science park centering on Zhejiang Lab, a research institute jointly invested in by Zhejiang provincial government, Zhejiang University and tech giant Alibaba Group, in Yuhang district, Hangzhou, Dec 28.

Once completed, the park, with a planned area of 90.53 hectares, will accommodate a group of research institutes and platforms for innovative development, including an artificial intelligence (AI) institute and a big data center.

Many supporting facilities, such as a conference and exhibition center, a gymnasium and residential buildings for professionals, are also included in the construction plan.

Smart and green technologies will be applied in the building and operation of the park to facilitate the life and work of people there.

The first stage of construction of the park is expected to be completed in 2020 and the second in 2022.

Zhejiang Lab was established in September 2017 with the aim of becoming a world-class innovation base to help Zhejiang transform into a global center for research in emerging fields. The lab focuses on research into five major fields: big data and cloud computing, AI, information security, barrier-free perception, and smart manufacturing and robotics.

According to Zhu Shiqiang, director of the lab, a team of more than 300 high-caliber professionals has been successfully built and the initial mechanisms for management and scientific researches have been shaped.

Yuan Jiajun, governor of the province, said the establishment of Zhejiang Lab is an important measure to boost the innovation-driven development and quality improvement of the province's economy.

He hoped the lab will be the birthplace of a group of world-leading scientific and technological findings.

Officials are briefed on the construction plan for the science park centering on Zhejiang Lab, Dec 28. [Photo by Liang Zhen/zjol.com.cn]