Singapore-Sichuan Hi-Tech Innovation Park (SSCIP)—A New IT innovation park in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Speaking of IT industrial metropolis in China inland, Chengdu is the leading one with Tianfu Software Park on its way to growing into a big hi-tech zone housing domestic and overseas well-known brands such as IBM, NEC, CISCO, DELL, TCL, HUAWEI, etc. However, the companies considering expanding into inland are faced with space tension in Tianfu Software Park while SSCIP, a new park aiming at completion in 2020, comes into being.

▲SSCIP is 3 km away from Tianfu Software Park. It is the first large-scale IT innovation park jointly developed by Singapore and Sichuan Province, China.

SSCIP is the first large-scale innovation park jointly developed by Singapore and Sichuan Province of China. The park, located 3 km away from Tianfu Software Park, was founded in May 2012, and started investment promotion in July 2013. So far, SSCIP has attracted 16 enterprises with a total investment value of RMB 19 billion including OPPO, an electronic product maker in Guangdong Province, and Founder, a giant system integration company 100% held by Peking University. Besides, Over 10 companies are now under investment agreement negotiation with SSCIP.

SSCIP is located in Tianfu New Area, 15 km to the south of Tianfu Square (the center of Chengdu city) and 12 km to the east of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. It is now focusing on the industry promotion of interactive digital media, biomedical sciences, precision instrument, environmental protection technologies and finance-related services. The total area is 10.34 km2 with 25% used for industry, 15% for residence, 10% for commerce, and 50% for greenbelt, roads and public facilities. The working population is predicted to reach 120,000 to 150,000 and residential population is 120,000. A large park just like Tokyo’s Hibiya Park and New York’s Central Park is being built in the center of SSCIP. The rest area surrounding the central park is divided into 6 clusters respectively for different industries.

▲SSCIP‘s model after completion. Labels in red are settled companies.

SSCIP’s developer, Sino-Singapore (Chengdu) Innovation Park Development Co., Ltd. , is a joint venture with 50% owned by Chengdu Hi-Tech Investment Group Co., Ltd. (wholly owned by Chengdu High-Tech Zone Management Committee), and the rest shared by Singbridge Holdings Pte. Ltd. and Sembcorp Development Ltd. with 25% for each. Different from China’s other parks, SSCIP is featured with its unique concept of proactive investment promotion campaign as well as urban development focusing on emerging industry, which is called “nesting to attract phoenix” by Federick OW, GM of SSCIP investment promotion department.

"SSCIP aspires to be an innovation park concentrating on facilitating the functions of research institutes and companies. To achieve the goal, it’s indispensable not only to create a sound industrial ecology but also to consider for working population’s daily life. Researchers tend to spend a lot of time in laboratory. It means a lot for them to have shopping and catering around them and accessible cultural facilities for them to refresh", said OW. And a provincial Cultural Center, as one of the said cultural facilities, and artificial lake in central park have been under construction.

"General IP strategy is to pitch world famous and big companies first, then make use of these giant’s influence to attract relevant companies. The plan is to first targeting at Chinese companies, then advanced American companies, followed by Taiwan, Singapore and Japanese companies in 2016 as the park is gradually taking shape", said OW.

"For Japan, SCCIP currently plans to target at Japan medtech and game companies, especially Japanese game companies which are now localizing their products in China. A lot of Japanese game contents are getting more familiar to Chinese audience like San Goku Shi (the three kingdoms). Besides, Chengdu boasts rich and skilled talents of mobile phone game."

Federick OW, GM of SSCIP’s industry promotion, said that SSCIP is now striving to make its voice heard by targeted companies in the style of Singapore’s investment promotion.

SSCIP is under construction, predicted to complete in 2020.

Winner Soft is a software company settled in Tianfu Software Park, focusing on system development. Its CEO, Mr. Zhou Mi, said they opened a new office because of expansion, but the new office has a lot of demerits caused by scattered locations. And it's difficult to rent another large space in Tianfu Software Park since it has few room. Zhou is considering SSCIP which could host all of their offices in one place.

Chengdu has many software developing and biomedicine talents with a low turnover rate. Their quality is as good as those of coastal cities with a 20-30% less labor cost. There is also a trend that many talents in coastal areas are moving to inland cities, such as Chengdu. In a nutshell, the development of SSCIP is in line with China’s inland modernization policies, and it can be expected that SSCIP will establish a successful model of IT innovation parks in Western China.

For the Japanese version, please refer to the original article:
http://biz.bcnranking.jp/article/news/1512/151204_140938.html