Guangzhou is busy these days building a high-tech city based on innovation. The city is doing that by establishing and exploring different forms of collaboration with Chinese and global companies across a variety of sectors.[Special Coverage]
Guangzhou is the new hub of emerging industries. It is shifting away from the auto, electronics and petrochemical sectors to emerging industries such as information technology, AI and bio-pharmaceuticals.
"Guangzhou is pushing the IAB strategy, which stand for IT, artificial intelligence and bio-pharmaceutical industries," said Lin Huanxu, chief engineer of Guangzhou Science, Tech & Innovation Commission.
The highest-listed Chinese firm, iFlytek, is one of the world's top AI system developers. In 2015, the company set up its southern China headquarters in Guangzhou and has been working with the local government to enhance various services using artificial intelligence (AI).
"With our technologies, 30 percent of Guangzhou's mobile carrier and bank services are processed by AI. In the medical field, our AI can detect 94.1 percent of tuberculosis cases," said Doranda Doo, senior VP of iFlytek.
AI doesn't function on its own. It is applied to existing industries. The company said Guangzhou, as a mega city, lays a good foundation for the application of AI.
"Guangzhou has a long history of business and commerce. Therefore it has extensive industry data and ample resources in the fields of education and healthcare," added Doo.
The IAB strategy says bio-pharmaceuticals is another important sector for Guangzhou. It is one of the fastest growing sectors globally but China only accounts for about 15 percent of the market.
Guangzhou's IAB strategy aims to join hands with the private sector to narrow that gap. A 240-square-kilometer industrial park, Guangzhou International Bio Island is part of the local government's initiative to promote the sector in the city.
And Guangzhou is building more industrial parks like this for the sector. GE Healthcare is partnering with the city to establish a 350-thousand-square-meter GE Bio-Campus to support large-scale manufacturing of bio-pharmaceuticals in China.
"I think the long-term vision by the Guangzhou government aligns exactly with what we want to accomplish for the bio campus ecosystem. So I think this business model, it's a perfect example of public-private partnership," said Rachel Duan, president & CEO of GE China.
