Loading...


2021 October
Building Smart Industry Cluster in Greater Bay Area

China’s first Tencent Start Innovation Center (TSIC) opened in Zhuhai at the end of last year. Combining functions such as communication, cultivation, incubation and integration, TSIC shares Tencent’s resources and technologies with innovative projects. It is set to help build Zhuhai into one of the important smart innovative industry bases in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area).

 

As an important gateway hub in the Greater Bay Area, Zhuhai has a good foundation for the development of digital economy and digital industries. The upgrading and transformation of Zhuhai’s industries also requires the assistance of technology companies. Cheng Chung-fo, Executive General Manager of TSIC (Zhuhai), said that TSIC offers all-round support for Zhuhai to form an industrial ecology in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and new-generation information technology, realize large-scale industrial development, assist in the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries, and attract a pool of high-quality talents to settle in Zhuhai.

 

Multi-faceted support for co-existence and win-win

The first phase of TSIC, located in the Yunxi Valley Digital Economy Industrial Park in Xiangzhou District, covers an area of over 1,000 sqm. It focuses on bringing in companies in the digital economy, such as those engaged in AI, big data, cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT). Through four types of services, i.e. industrial ecological investment, industry accelerator, industrial ecological training and industrial base, it provides companies with services such as technical support, matching of business opportunities and financial support to “get on the cloud”, achieving co-existence and win-win outcomes with partners.

 

Cheng specifically mentioned that, besides free office space and shared office equipment, “we have rolled out cloud service subsidies to assist innovative projects to get on the cloud, offering a high amount of RMB25 million in special funds annually for them to achieve digitalization and smart upgrading.” In addition, companies can enjoy Tencent’s ecosystem-specific services: “Selected innovative projects can, for free, enjoy priority recommendation for Tencent SaaS Accelerator, Tencent AI Accelerator, Tencent Blockchain Accelerator and Tencent WeCity to accelerate project growth. TSIC will also regularly hold related public activities such as those on AI, big data, cloud computing and IoT to carry out industry acceleration and incubation for the projects.”

 

Industry support for acceleration of business growth

Cheng said that it was quite difficult for companies to contact Tencent or discuss cooperation in the past. Now, companies can grow rapidly by leveraging the newly established TSIC in conjunction with the help of the Tencent team and a system of entrepreneurial support services.

 

Cheng stressed that Tencent in the past focused more on the gaming business, but it now wants to unearth more promising companies and bring in more high-quality projects for further diversification of products and services.

 

Park in Zhuhai is just a starting point

The successful opening of TSIC can certainly inject new impetus into industrial upgrading and smart city development for Zhuhai and even the Greater Bay Area, but Cheng said that there have been numerous challenges during the preparatory process. Cheng is most pleased that both parties eventually not only overcame the challenges, but also increased the breadth and depth of cooperation to establish a closer partnership. The Park in Zhuhai is just a starting point. “Going forward, TSIC will work in partnership with local governments in various places to support the development of innovative projects and accelerate the digital upgrading and transformation of various industries according to their status of industrial development.”