Beijing Zhongguancun Science Park

Zhongguancun Science Park, also called Z-park in brief, is the center of Beijing hi-tech industry, enjoying in fame as “the Chinese Silicon Valley”. Z-park is located in the northwestern Beijing in Haidian District. Lying between two famous Chinese universities, Tsinghua University and Peking University, there is a positive development feature in western experts’ predictions. That because Standford University played a key role during the Silicon Valley development period which has the same situation with Zhongguancun.

 

The Zhongguancun Science Park, the first hi-tech one at the state level, is composed of

Haidian Development Area

Fengtai Development Area

Changping Development Area

Electronics Town

Yizhuang Science and Technology Development Area

Desheng Development Area·

Yonghe Development Area

Shijingshan Development Area

Tongzhou Development Area

Daxing CBP

 

Zhongguancun has long existed since 1950's and only became a household name in the early 1980s. The first person who envisioned the future for Zhongguancun was Chen Chunxian, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who came up with the idea for a Silicon Valley in China after he visited the U.S. as part of a government-sponsored trip. The location of the Chinese Academy of Sciences within Zhongguancun reinforced, and perhaps was in part responsible for the technological growth in this area.

 

Throughout the 1980s and still today, Zhongguancun was known as "electronics avenue," because of its connections to information technology and the preponderance of stores along a central, crowded street.

 

Zhongguancun was officially recognized by the central government of China in 1988. It was given the wordy name "Beijing High-Technology Industry Development Experimental Zone."

 

The current designation Zhongguancun refers commonly to the original site. However, officially (as of 1999) Zhongguancun has become the "Zhongguancun Science & Technology Zone." It is a zone with seven parks, including Haidian Park, Fengtai Park, Changping Park, Electronics City (in Chaoyang), Yizhuang Park, Desheng Park, and Jianxiang Park.

 

The original Zhongguancun is now known as the Haidian Park of the Zhongguancun Zone. The area and environs, however, remain the same.

 

This garden has seized the opportunities offered by the new technological revolution. Founder and Legend, the two representative computer enterprises at Zhongguancun, have followed the development of computer technology and have effectively combined scientific and technological innovations with their practical applications. The Zhongguancun Scientific and Technological Garden is also the birthplace of the filmsetting technology of Chinese characters, the chip for Super Computers, the E-business website, and the standards of international communications information in China.

 

It is currently home to 8,000 enterprises armed with new technology. There are 180 enterprises whose income on technological transfer and trade each surpasses 100 million Yuan, over 1,400 foreign-funded enterprises, 43 out of Top 500 in the world, R&D institutions run by Microsoft, IBM, Motorola and 20 other multinational corporations, and about 1,200 enterprises launched by more than 3,600 fellows who studied abroad. Lenovo(Legend), Founder and some other enterprises, who represent the image of hi-tech enterprises of modern China, have also set up businesses in Zhongguancun Science Park.

 

In terms of the income from technological trade, added value, tax payments to the State and export value, Zhongguancun Science Park's ranking among the 53 hi-tech Development Areas in China raises with each passing year. Its contribution to Beijing's industrial economic growth stays over 60% for many years running.

The most famous companies that grew up in Zhongguancun are Stone Group, Founder Group, and Lenovo Group. They were all founded in 1984-85. Stone was the first successful technology company to be operated by individuals outside the government in China. Founder is a technology company that spun off Peking University. Lenovo Group spun off from Chinese Academy of Sciences with Liu Chuanzhi, a hero of Zhongguancun and current Chairmain, eventually taking the helm. Lenovo purchased IBM's PC division with $1.75 billion in 2005, making it the world's third-largest PC maker. Both Founder and Lenovo Group maintain strong connections to their academic backers, who are significant shareholders.

 

According to the 2004 Beijing Statistical Yearbook, there are over 12,000 high-tech enterprises throughout Zhongguancun's seven parks, with 489,000 technicians employed.

 

Eastdawn Corporation is in the Sinosteel building.

 

Many world renowned technology companies built their Chinese headquarters and research centers in Zhongguancun Technology Park, such as Google, Intel, AMD, Oracle Corporation, Motorola, Sony, and Ericsson. Microsoft is building its Chinese research headquarters in the park that costs $280 million. Once it is completed, it can accommodate 5000 employees.