High-tech Haina Town to be key driver of city's digital evolution
Officials and experts discuss blueprint for the Haina Town in Putuo District on the Suzhou Creek Forum on Wednesday.
Haina Town, a new high-tech town to be built in Shanghai's northwest downtown, will become a key site to drive the city's digital transformation.
Haina, which means inclusiveness and integration, will be developed in Putuo District's Zhenru subcenter and become home to the latest digital applications and innovative startup projects.
"The town will become an important site for Shanghai's ambition to become an international digital capital with global influence," said Yu Lijuan, vice chairwoman of the Shanghai committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body.
It will develop together with Cloud Town in neighboring Hangzhou and Xuelang Town in Wuxi. Both projects are known for cloud computing, big data and Internet of Things developments under the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta Region, Yu told the Suzhou Creek Forum on Wednesday.
The forum was initiated in 2007 for local political advisers and intellectuals to make proposals for the city's development. This year's event was themed on the "Construction and digital transformation of Haina Town."
The town, covering 3.12 square kilometers, will mainly attract high-tech incubators and research institutes as well as recreational and commercial facilities. A large swathe of smart applications such as unmanned service centers and intelligent senior care systems will be applied across the town, according to the blueprint.
It will become the source of Putuo's scientific innovation sector and core area for the development of digital technology, said Zhang Yuxin, vice director of Putuo District government.
The town will have four core sections – "innovation engine," "integration sitting room," "innovative incubation" and "mix of thoughts," Zhang told the forum
The town will feature offices and living areas with rivers, lakes, parks and forests. Economic development and ecological environment will be equally important to the town's development.
Wang Jian, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and founder of Alibaba Cloud, has been appointed honorary director of the town. He shared the digital transformation plans for the town at the forum.
Zhenru, which dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is to become a "public activity center" for the Yangtze River Delta region. It was originally formed around Zhenru Temple and will become the "northwest sitting room" of the city.
It is one of the subcenters in the city's downtown, along with Xujiahui in Xuhui District, Wujiaochang in Yangpu District and Huamu in the Pudong New Area.
They will become a new driving force for the city's development along with the five "new cities" in Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Nanhui.
"Zhenru aims to become Shanghai's 'key engine' and main source of scientific innovation," said Zhang.
The district government is soliciting pilot applications in areas such as digital transformation of the economy, daily life and urban governance as part of Shanghai's ambition to become an international capital for digitalization.
The under-construction Zhenru Subcenter in Putuo District
