Huawei's R&D center to open next year, fuel Qingpu's innovative development
An artistic rendering of the research and development center of tech giant Huawei in Shanghai's suburban Qingpu District
The research and development center of Chinese tech giant Huawei in Shanghai's Qingpu is scheduled to go into operation in 2024, injecting new vitality into the innovative development of the suburban district, a press conference heard on Tuesday.
The project, located in Jinze Town which broke ground in 2020, covers about 2,400 mu (160 hectares) and will comprise scientific research and office buildings as well as supporting facilities.
It will be mostly completed by the end of this year.
"About 30,000 and 40,000 scientific research professionals will be introduced into the center, injecting new vitality into the innovative development of Qingpu," Xu Jian, Party secretary of the district, told the press conference.
As a key R&D base of Huawei, the center will focus on areas such as 5G (fifth generation) terminal chips and Internet of Things.
Earmarked as a "new highland of digital innovation," Qingpu's development is projected to go on the fast track.
In the first half of this year, the district's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 14.7 percent from the same period last year, ranking second among all districts in Shanghai.
Qingpu New City
The agglomeration of leading enterprises such as Huawei, NetEase and Midea has boosted the rapid development of the digital industry chain in Qingpu.
Construction of NetEase Shanghai International Culture and Innovation Science and Technology Park is well under way, and the expansion project of Shanghai Shixi Software Information Park has been accelerated.
In the first half of this year, the sales revenue of above-scale software information companies in the district soared 45.3 percent from the same period last year.
Construction of the Yangtze River Delta Ecology and Greenery Integration Demonstration Zone Railway Line has started, and it will serve as a fast pass connecting Qingpu New City with Wujiang District of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, and Jiashan County in Zhejiang Province.
In the future, commuters will be able to transfer between Shanghai Metro Line 17, a new rail line in the zone and another connecting Shanghai's Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang and Jinshan districts, which are both under construction.
Consistent efforts are being made to improve people's livelihood in Qingpu as well.
The Qingpu branch of Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University has started trial operation, and construction of the Qingpu New City branch of Zhongshan Hospital will start within the year, the press conference heard.
The renewal of seven urban village projects is also under way in the district.
