Approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, in 1991, the Chengdu Hi-tech Zone is one of the first State-ranked hi-tech industrial development zones, and one of six pilot zones of "The World's First-Class Technology Park Initiatives" sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

With a planned area of 130 square kilometers, the zone is divided into a south and a west park. There are 29,163 companies registered in the zone. Among them nearly 1,000 are companies with investments from foreign firms, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies, and also companies with investments by other well-known international corporations.

Altogether more than 500 companies have been certified as high-tech enterprises. The project ranks fourth among China's national hi-tech zones.

The zone focuses on R&D and manufacturing of high-tech products. The microelectronics-oriented IT industry, including software, the TCM-centered bio-pharmaceutical industry, and the precision machinery manufacturing industry feature advanced technologies and are its three pillars.

The zone also attaches great importance to the development of modern food processing techniques, new materials, environmental protection, scientific and technological consulting and venture capital.

The software industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the zone. The software sales revenue of the zone reached 50 billion yuan ($7.95 billion) in 2011, while exports of software products and business process outsourcing, or BPO, reached $350 million, including embedded software and some test and assembly services.

There are about 100,000 employees working for more than 800 software and BPO companies. The software industry in the zone covers service outsourcing, information security, digital entertainment, and industrial applications, with representatives ranging from IBM, Microsoft, Symantec, Intel, Accenture, Tencent, to Kingsoft, 30 Group, and Synnex.

China Daily

(China Daily 03/22/2013 page17)