"Our mission's focus is on original innovation, turning the area into a cradle of new industries and a hub of high-level professionals," said Shan Binghui, director-general of Songshan Lake science town administration.

Dongguan in Guangdong province, dubbed the "world's factory", is well-known for its abundant and diverse manufacturing resources.

However, Shan said the city's innovation chain is incomplete, and the weak link is the chain's upper stream.

"We used to focus on applied technology and the industrialization of scientific research achievements, but now we're taking a leap into original innovation," he told China Daily.

The aim is to build large-scale scientific research facilities and bring in top-level research institutions. "This is the engine of the whole area's development as we could transform its study results into industries at nearby districts and cities," said Shan. The town mainly focuses on information, new material and life science industries.

"The comprehensive national science center can support the technology innovation pillar of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which will bolster the high-quality growth of the Bay area and aid its participation in global competition."

One of the science town's unique advantages, he noted, is that it is established at the base of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, a mature zone that currently houses more than 350 high-tech firms, including the technology behemoth Huawei Technologies.

"In the next stage, we'll help manufacturing projects to locate in surrounding areas while welcoming global high-tech firms to have their research departments in the science town's core area," he said. "Our large scientific research facilities are open to the world, and it's an alluring resource because the operation time for such equipment worldwide is limited."
"It's the soil of our development and we expect these world-leading scientists to stay here to transform its research results and even set up their firms here," said Shan.

"For the long-term, our universities will provide them with more talents to expand their technological innovation and a high-level living environment for them to settle down," he said. "This way, hopefully, we could cultivate our own Fortune Global 500 companies and form a new industry.

To upgrade the living environment, the town is building metro lines and an intercity rail network to further integrate with other Bay Area cities, while high-class hospitals, schools and public facilities have been established.