Xiong'an hunts for technological innovation

A competition showcasing technological innovation will be held in Hebei province's Xiong'an New Area next year, to promote opportunities in scientific and technological development that will help the area become a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The second Xiong'an Future City Scene Expo and Series of Competitions recently opened its registration channel online, inviting tech innovation teams to participate in 10 competitions scheduled from March to May next year, said Geng Feng, deputy director of the organizing committee office of the expo and deputy director of the area's administrative committee.

These competitions cover both emerging fields and future industries such as aerospace information, low-altitude transportation and large-scale vertical models.

The competitions aim to identify high-value technological achievements with market potential that can turn into new productive forces effectively, Geng said at a news conference last week.

He said the second Scene Expo (the name refers to different sectors, or "scenes", of innovation) was launched to better accommodate the non-capital functions that moved from Beijing to Xiong'an.

Located about 100 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, Xiong'an New Area was established in April 2017 to be the home of most non-capital functions — functions that are not essential to Beijing's role as China's capital.

"Building upon the success of the inaugural expo held this year, the second edition aims to enrich and expand activities related to showcasing innovative achievements, professional competitions, technology exchanges and capital connections, to create a comprehensive platform with national influence," Geng said.

The first Scene Expo, launched in December 2023, hosted 10 competitions and attracted 818 teams with 1,320 entries from across the country.

A total of 377 award-winning works were selected, providing robust technological support for the construction and development of the future city.