A Chimney-less industrial zone

Heyuan National High-tech Zone was officially founded in June 2003, covering an area of 40 square kilometers, and was named a national high-tech zone by the State Council in early 2015. The zone has been judged the highest performing high-tech zone of its kind in three consecutive annual performance assessments.

Focusing on environmental protection, science and technology, Heyuan National High-tech Zone has attracted more than 22 national-level high-tech enterprises covering the entire cell phone industry supply chain. The zone has become an important driving force for regional economic development in South China's Guangdong province.

Heyuan National High-tech Zone vetoes polluting projects

Environmental protection is a calling card of Heyuan, and this is also true of Heyuan National High-tech Zone. Since it was first established, the high-tech zone has prioritized environmental protection and this commitment has never wavered throughout its development.

Heyuan National High-tech Zone puts the idea of environmental protection into practice. The urban sewage treatment plant, situated right in the high-tech zone, was put into operation in 2007 and remains one of the most advanced sewage treatment facilities in China. Sewage discharged after being treated by this plant meets the Grade III surface water quality rating. Moreover, the concept of green development has been integrated even into the plant's design, making the plant more like an ecological wetland.

Heyuan National High-tech Zone

To ensure that the zone remains committed to green development, Heyuan National High-tech Zone has formulated a series of entry criteria for plants and companies that want to settle in the zone. Heyuan High-tech Zone has rejected 350 proposals to build plants inside the zone for pollution-related reasons, including proposals related to the electroplating, papermaking, blanching and dying industries, even though those projects were expected to inject a total investment of 40 billion yuan ($6 billion) into the zone.

Not only did Heyuan National High-tech Zone take the initiative to set up a sewage treatment plant in the region that houses most of Guangdong province's industry transfer parks, it also set up a solid waste disposal center. These two centers have raised the rates of industrial wastewater treatment, domestic sewage centralized treatment, and solid waste treatment in the region to 100 percent.

Meanwhile, a range of excellent projects have been drawn to the zone, such as the gas-fired combined cooling, heating and power new energy project led by Huadian Fuxin Energy Corporation Limited.

Three pillar industries accounting for 80 percent of total output value

Heyuan National High-tech Zone has gradually established a mobile ecosystem integrating research and development, assembly, testing, logistics and sales, attracting more than 42 cell phone-related companies with a total investment of 18 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), including China-based Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corporation, CK Telecom and Maxon Electronics.

The National Mobile Communication Products Testing Center entered the zone in 2007. Heyuan National High-tech Zone has been awarded the title of Guangdong Mobile Phone Production Base by the Guangdong provincial government, and the zone is also the only Mobile Phone Industry Cluster Upgrading Demonstration Area in Guangdong. As a result, companies operating in Heyuan National High-tech Zone have access to various preferential policies.

After several years' development, Heyuan National High-tech Zone has shifted its priorities from attracting as much investment as possible to selecting excellent projects, and from targeting investment from individual projects to investment from certain key industries, with a particular emphasis on electronic information and fine mechanics enterprises.

At present, Heyuan National High-tech Zone is concentrating on three pillar industries: electronic information related to cell phones, fine mechanics related to molds, and solar photovoltaic power, as well as specialty industries.

In 2015, these three leading industries maintained a good growth momentum, achieving a total output value of 35.8 billion yuan ($5.37 billion), up by 17 percent year on year and accounting for 84 percent of the zone's total industrial output value, while the electronic information industry registered a total output value worth 32.9 billion yuan ($4.93 billion), accounting for 81 percent of the zone's total industrial output value. The number of cell phones made in the zone exceeded 65 million.

Heyuan National High-tech Zone

Nurturing talent, entrepreneurs and startups

Heyuan High-tech Zone has joined hands with Shenzhen Gemdale Corporation to set up a high-tech enterprise incubator. Shenzhen Gemdale signed an agreement with the Heyuan government to provide the zone with intellectual and technological support in early December 2015.

In order to improve its scientific and technological innovation ability, Heyuan has “built nests for talented personnel and incubators for start-ups”.

For example, the high-tech zone has established partnerships with several academic institutions, research institutes and enterprises, setting up platforms to attract more talented personnel, resources and technological support. Meanwhile, several service platforms for innovation have been put in place to help start-ups, including Heyuan High-tech Enterprise Incubator, the Heyuan-first Business Incubator, and the Innovation Service Center, which came into service in January 2013.

In 2014, Heyuan New District was identified as a pilot unit for the construction of the Technology Entrepreneurial Business Incubator.

In 2015, six engineering research and development centers and six national high-tech enterprises were added to Heyuan National High-tech Zone.

To date, there are 22 national high-tech enterprises, 12 provincial-level and 20 municipal-level engineering research and development centers within Heyuan National High-tech Zone.

Companies or research institutes operating in the zone have applied for patents for more than 500 projects and products, with some 300 being awarded patents.

Administration of Heyuan High-tech Development Zone

Tel: (0762) 3601813, 3600387

Fax: (0762)3600183

E-mail: hygxq@hyhdz.gov.cn, hyhdz@hyhdz.gov.cn