Haidian promotes green strategies for going global

For Zhang Xiuying, going green and going global go hand in hand.

"In my understanding, there is more to ecological awareness as a developmental concept than clearer skies and greener fields," said Zhang, deputy head of the administrative committee of Zhongguancun's Haidian Science Park.

Zhang, whose committee is charged with aiding enterprises as they venture overseas, said ecological awareness must be a guiding principle in every business move.

"It urges us to cherish resources, impose self-constraint to prevent undue development, and improve the relationship between man and nature so as to realize the long-term goal of sustainable economic and social development."

The understanding is the result of a talk Zhang had with some experts in Beijing on ecological studies in 2003 after her trip to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Rural Xinjiang had many well-preserved ancient houses and an almost unspoiled environment, which she attributed to good ecological awareness.

But the experts expanded her view of the concept, saying preservation of the natural ecosystem was only one aspect. They explained that ecological awareness is more about creating wealth through proper use of resources in a sustainable way.

This enlightenment soon helped Zhang recognize the role the concept can play in her science park.

"We have since introduced the concept into work because a major task of the committee is to pool resources and formulate policies for companies in the park to ensure their proper development," said the veteran, who has worked at the park for more than 20 years.

In 2004, the park became the country's first state-level high-tech zone to offer one-stop services for technological companies looking to go global.

Instead of adopting an approach used by many countries that focuses policies on specific industries, the park's administrative committee blazed a new trail by dedicating its policies to improving the poor performance of the park's companies in the international market, Zhang said.

In 2006, the park established a special fund to help small and medium-sized companies sharpen their competitive edge in the international market.

The fund paid off handsomely, Zhang said.

According to official statistics, 30 businesses that were subsidized in 2006 increased their average annual sales revenue by nearly 39 percent from 273.5 million yuan ($43.87 million) to 380 million yuan after receiving the subsidies.

And their combined annual export sales, increased from 10.2 million yuan to 23.7 million yuan, surging more than 133 percent.

That same year, the park's administrative committee launched a weekday program with Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television to promote high-tech businesses located in the park to overseas audiences, paving the way for them to make inroads into the international market.

In 2007, iBridge, a website to "connect businesses in China's Silicon Valley with the rest of the world" went online.

Funded by the administrative committee and based on its work, the website offers a rich repository of resources, including projects offered by Chinese enterprises seeking international partners or by foreign businesses and institutions interested in the Chinese market, according to its official website.

It also offers information about relevant services and products as well as training, exhibitions and human resources.

In support of the drive to go global, the administrative committee is offering training courses to senior personnel in its major businesses.

"It is personnel that plays a decisive role in enterprises' efforts to go global," said Zhao Gang, who heads a scientific development center at the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Unlike the courses in textbooks, "training focuses on case studies that enterprises have encountered as they make forays into the international arena to help them find solutions," said Zhang Guoqing, deputy head of Zhongguancun Institute for Innovation.

By the end of January, 60 senior leaders from 54 businesses in the park had finished their training, nearly half of which were listed companies.