Hubei houses 10 national innovative industrial clusters

A superb view of the Optics Valley Central City in the Optics Valley of China, Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/Optics Valley of China]

Data released by the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province on Oct 10 indicate that over the first eight months of this year, Hubei's national innovative industrial clusters generated revenue totaling 183.22 billion yuan ($25.78 billion), with net profits and paid-up tax standing at 15.79 billion yuan and 6.98 billion yuan respectively. Meanwhile, the industrial clusters have also provided jobs to about 234,000 people.

The national innovative industrial cluster is accelerating the convergence of resources, driving the industrial chain development, and enhancing the overall competency of the region. Hubei province currently houses 10 such clusters, the third most in China and the most in Central China.

The geo-spatial information and application service innovative industrial cluster, one of the 10 clusters based in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC), for example, has amassed a series of influential players in this field, including Wuhan Mengxi Technology Co and GeoStar Co. A relatively complete industrial chain that features geo-spatial information data gaining in the upper end of the industrial chain, data processing and related operational services in the center of the chain, and the integrated and application services in the lower end of the chain has taken shape.

Similarly, the new energy vehicle (NEV) innovative industrial cluster in the Xiangyang National Hi-Tech Industry Development Zone is also home to a number of automobile forerunners and more than 200 auto component suppliers, and has over 400 authorized NEV patents.

The nonwoven fabric innovative industrial cluster in Xiantao Hi-tech Development Zone is currently home to some 2,000 fabric-related enterprises, with 145 of them above a designated size. The cluster enjoys an annual output of 44.7 billion yuan, and its market shares of spunbonded nonwovens and spunlace nonwovens rank first in China.

Meanwhile, the province has been synergizing the upgrading of traditional industries and the cultivation of emerging industries, and increasing the innovative capacity of the Optics Valley Sci-Tech Innovation Corridor.