Jiaxing breaking ground on future growth

The construction of a talent-innovation park in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, broke ground on Tuesday with the hope of attracting more professionals to the Yangtze River Delta region.

The Zhejiang YRD High-level Talent Innovation Park (Jiaxing Smart Industrial Park), which will cover 160,000 square meters, is expected to attract corporate headquarters, research and development (R&D) centers, and high-tech chip-manufacturing sites that require highly skilled professionals. Officials envision the innovation park as a platform for people to develop their skills and contribute to economic growth. 

Construction will be completed by the end of 2023.

Yu Yaming, deputy director of Jiaxing Economic and Technological Development Zone (International Business Park), said construction of such a large talent park will attract big projects and lead to increased economic development.

Meanwhile, a batch of foreign-investment projects in Jiaxing totaling 40.5 billion yuan (US$5.96 billion) are in the works, including a R&D center for Japanese high-tech firm Panasonic — the company's biggest investment project outside Japan in 16 years. 

Jiaxing, only 30 minutes from Shanghai via high-speed rail, is benefiting from the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region. It's home to 660 multinational companies' manufacturing sites, drawn from more than 40 countries and regions.