ZHONGGUANCUN: FROM "MADE IN CHINA" TO "CREATED IN CHINA"

After 20 years’ development and now China’s biggest, ZSP occupies 232.52-square-kilometres. It has fostered many aggressive enterprises and has numerous high-tech achievements to its credit. TIME magazine once referred to Zhongguancun as “the cradle of China’s high-tech enterprisesdedicated to training China’s Bill Gates” and said it “will lead China into the information age.”

Leading China’s Information Industry Development

        Since the 1980s, Zhongguancun has been an innovative and trend-setting player in China’s information industry. In 1987, its domestic laser-scanning photo-typesetting system came on to the market and was well received. This triggered a revolution in printing technology. In 1993, China’s first 586 processor computer was unveiled; in 1994, Zhongguancun linked to the World Wide Web; in 1995, China’s first Internet service supplier, Information Highway, was created to provide services for ordinary residents; and in 1998, China’s first large research engine, SOHU, came into being.

        In the 21st century, more high-tech products and services have been brought to the market via Zhongguancun. From high-definition TVs, mobile phones, MP3 players, and laptop computers, to various kinds of computer software and games, it truly brought the Chinese people into the information age.

        Zhongguancun-based Vimicro Corporation now accounts for 60 percent of the international market in mixed-signal multimedia chips; QQ Technology’s core-routing-switch chipset ended the monopoly of this technology in the international market. Zhongguancun-based enterprises, such as Lenovo, Founder, Tsinghua Tongfang, TongTech, sina.com, sohu.com, baidu.com, Rising, Jiangmin and Kingsoft have become famous brands worldwide.

        During China’s drive toward informatisation of the last 20 years, Zhongguancun-based enterprises played a very important role. Its high-tech industries increased by 40 percent per year in an economy that also grew by leaps and bounds. In 1988, the total income of these high-tech enterprises was 1.4 billion yuan (US$205.25 million); in 2008, that number exceeded 1 trillion yuan (US$146.61 billion). The added value of the high-tech industry was 178.6 billion yuan (US$26.18 billion), accounting for 17 percent of Beijing’s GDP (gross domestic product). Zhongguancun edged into the top of the high-tech parks in the world.

Statistics reveal that during the past four years more than 100 companies added to the group of enterprises that have the incomes of more than 100 million yuan (US$14.66 million) per year. More than 800 have annual incomes higher than 100 million yuan. There are 113 listed companies with capitalizations of nearly 100 billion yuan (US$14.66 billion).

Standing at a Transformational Corner

        In March 2009, the State Council approved Zhongguancun as a National Innovation Park; this set a new direction and created new aims for the park. In the Approval of the State Council to Agree to Support Zhongguancun to Construct the National Innovation Park, Zhongguancun is called upon to seize upon its advantages in bringing resources for innovation into play. Actions taken should enhance reform and development and strive to recruit and develop innovative personnel, especially senior-level personnel. It should focus on the development and transformation of advanced international science and technologies and foster a group of world-renowned innovative enterprises and brands, enhancing innovation while spreading the influence of the exemplary role played by Zhongguancun. Zhongguancun should progress to a new stage within the first 20 years of 21st century to become an influential technology innovation centre that is respected worldwide.

        After 20 years’ development, Zhongguancun needs to think about its future. The effects of the global financial crisis have been managed well by Zhongguancun, even if the ZSP is not immune to them. In 2008, growth in the electronic and information industries, which concern about 40 percent of the enterprises in the ZSP, slowed. Lenovo Group Limited reported its worst situation since purchasing the IBM personal computer business and made a decision to trim its staff. On the other hand, the environmental protection, online game and culture and creative industries were active in the market. Leading companies in these industries are developing rapidly.

        But the financial crisis may simply be revealing symptoms of deeper issues. After 20 years’ of progressive growth, Zhongguancun is starting to encounter some bottlenecks.

        Things were different 30 years ago, and Zhongguancun is now experiencing some troubles in financing middle- and small-sized enterprises and in encouraging more research and development personnel to start up businesses.

        “The experiment in Zhongguancun gave us an opportunity to seek Chinese solutions for worldwide problems. When we make breakthroughs, it enhances productivity a great deal,” said Da Wei, the director of the Administrative Committee of the ZSP.

Towards a Global Technology Innovation Centre

        The proposal to become “a worldwide influential technology innovation centre” began with the State Council and its guidance and support for innovation and transformation.

        These policies resulted in a concentration of talent, techniques, funds and markets to boost reformation of China’s innovative systems. A technology financing experiment and its taxation policies focused on the expansion of financing approaches for enterprises and reduced capitalization pressures on technology-based middle- and small-size companies. An experiment involving government purchases of innovation products, stock ownership and share-incentive experiments and the setting aside of special funding for key projects encouraged talented employees to become more active in their fields of expertise and resulted in the conversion of research successes into successful, useful products. This, in turn, encourages university students, researchers and high-tech enterprises to innovate and produce more.

        In recent years, Zhongguancun has created 100,000 new jobs per year, and it has recruited more than 30,000 college graduates. There are more than 4,500 foreign technicians working in the high-tech enterprises in Zhongguancun. More than 4,500 returnees work in its enterprises. In the working group, about half of the workers in Zhongguancun have a bachelor’s degree, 10 percent have a masters’ degree and 1 percent have doctorates.

        In the future, Zhongguancun will promote innovations in techniques and will produce more high-quality and independent products bearing their own intellectual-property rights. More high-tech industries will be created to serve economic structural adjustment, industry upgrading and sustainable development. In addition, it will also strive for innovation in its mechanisms related to financing, investment, credit, insurance, property trading, intermediary services, government purchasing and government functions. It will attract more senior talents and strengthen its international communication to promote the Zhongguancun brand to the world.

中关村国家自主创新示范区：迈向全球科技创新中心

文/李威

        20年的时间，中关村从电子一条街、新技术产业开发试验区起步，发展成总面积达232.52平方公里、中国最大的高科技园区，大批具有创新活力的企业迅速成长，重大科技成果大量涌现，高新技术产业已经具备相当规模和竞争力，已经成为北京经济社会发展的重要支柱和国家高新技术产业发展的一面旗帜。

        2009年3月，中国国务院同意支持中关村建设国家自主创新示范区，并提出中关村新的目标和定位：以自主创新为驱动，以体制机制改革为突破，以发挥创新资源优势为重点，加快改革与发展，争取再培养和聚集一批优秀创新人才，特别是产业领军人才；产生和转化一批国际领先的科技成果；做大做强一批具有全球影响力的创新型企业；培育一批国际知名品牌，全面提高中关村自主创新和辐射带动能力；推动中关村的科学发展和创新，在21世纪再迈上一个新台阶，成为具有全球影响力的科技创新中心。

引领中国信息化发展方向

        从20世纪80年代起，中关村一直是中国信息技术发展的一个发祥地和风向标——

        1987年，国产激光照排系统走向市场并得以迅速推广应用，在中国掀起了“淘汰铅与火，迎来光与电”的印刷技术革命；1993年，中国第一台586电脑诞生；1994年，中关村地区教育与科研示范网络工程进入互联网，实现与互联网的TCP／IP连接，从而开通了互联网全功能服务；1995年，诞生了中国第一家互联网服务供应商——瀛海威，从此中国的普通百姓开始进入互联网；1998年，中国首家大型分类查询搜索引擎搜狐横空出世，开启了中国互联网门户时代……

        进入21世纪，中关村更是诞生了越来越多的高科技产品以及新的服务形式，不仅让人们真切感受到信息技术的神奇魅力，更将人们的生活从此带入了信息时代。稍稍留意一下人们日常生活中离不开的电子产品，从高清电视、手机、MP3、笔记本电脑到各种软件、芯片等很多民族品牌都产生于中关村。

        中星微电子的星光数字多媒体芯片占据同类产品60%的国际市场份额；畅讯信通公司研制出核心路由器交换芯片，打破了跨国公司在该领域的垄断。此外，还有“龙芯”系列、CPU系列、由2000余款芯片构成的“中国芯”战略工程，结束了中国电脑有脑无芯的时代；联想、方正、同方三大品牌台式PC机的国内市场占有率在40%以上，笔记本电脑达25%以上；东方通占有国内中间件市场20%的份额，与IBM、BEA两大国际巨头三分天下；新浪、搜狐是中国领先的门户网站；百度是全球最大的中文搜索引擎；瑞星、江民、金山成为中国防病毒软件的三大知名品牌……

        在中国的信息化进程中，无论是电子政务领域，还是金税、金卡、金关等重大行业信息化工程，无论是涉及国家信息安全的关键领域，还是企业信息化水平的提升，中关村的企业作为重要的技术服务提供商都做出了重要贡献。

        金山、共创公司提供了政府办公软件；方正、美髯公、慧点等公司提供电子政务系列服务；用友、神州数码等公司为企业量身定做企业信息化系统；密安、天融信、启明星辰等公司为用户提供从加密机、网络安全整体保护到防入侵与预警等不同层次、全方位的信息安全技术产品与服务；东方通、中关村软件等公司提供了中间件软件产品；人大金仓等公司提供了国产数据库产品；中科红旗、凯思昊鹏、中软等公司提供嵌入式软件。此外，大批的系统集成商也集聚在中关村。在中国信息化领域，中关村的企业几乎无处不在，并且可以提供从低端到高端完整的技术体系和整体解决方案。

        20年来，中关村高新技术产业年均增长速度达到了40%。在过去的20年里，中关村的经济持续高速增长。1988年，高新技术企业总收入为14亿元，2008年突破1万亿元，高新技术产业增加值达1786亿元，相当于北京市GDP的17%。无论是产业规模，还是发展速度，中关村已经跻身世界科技园区的前列。

        据统计，中关村的企业研发投入占销售收入的比重达到4.5%，高出中国企业平均水平约4个百分点。自主知识产权操作系统、信息安全、重点行业应用软件等市场占有率位居国内第一。每年技术交易额占中国的1/4以上，其中60%以上输出到北京以外地区。此外，中关村还在软件、集成电路、计算机和网络、通信、生物医药、能源环保等重点领域形成国内优势产业集群。其中，软件、集成电路设计产业收入均占中国的1/4。目前，中关村的研发、信息服务、创意设计等高技术服务业经济规模已经达到园区总量的50%，在中国率先实现了向高技术服务业转型。

        统计数据显示，中关村已经连续4年新增年销售收入超亿元的企业100家以上，目前年收入超亿元企业总数已超过800家。截至目前，中关村上市公司总数达到113家，累计融资额近1000亿元。

迈向全球科技创新中心

        中国国务院提出中关村要创办“具有全球影响力的科技创新中心”这一发展目标，对于中关村提高自主创新能力，推动发展方式转变具有重大意义。

        中关村管委会负责人表示，中国国务院批复中除了明确中关村未来发展的战略目标，也明确了支持中关村建设国家自主创新示范区的政策措施，包括开展股权激励试点、科技金融改革创新试点、国家科技重大专项项目（课题）经费中按规定开支间接费用等方面的试点，支持新型产业组织参与国家重大科技项目，研究进一步促进中关村国家自主创新示范区发展的税收政策，组织编制发展规划，支持北京市开展政府采购自主创新产品的试点和建设世界一流的新型研究机构等。

        这些政策措施的中心是围绕着人才、技术、资金、市场四个要素，开展有利于自主创新的体制机制改革。科技金融试点、税收政策是围绕着扩宽企业融资渠道、降低科技型中小企业的资金压力设计；政府采购自主创新产品的试点是围绕帮助企业开拓市场设计；股权激励试点、重大专项项目经费列支是围绕激发人才的创新活力和推动科技成果的转移转化设计，强化了激励机制，将进一步调动高等院校、科研院所、所有的高新技术企业的科技人员和经营管理人员产业化的积极性。

        近年来，中关村每年新增就业岗位约10万个，每年吸纳应届高校毕业生3万余人，在中关村高新技术企业工作的外籍技术人员已经超过4500人。目前，在中关村高新技术企业就业的各类人才近百万人，从业的留学人员累计约1万人，由留学人员创办的企业累计超过4500家。平均每2个人中就有1人拥有本科学历，每10个人中有1个人拥有硕士以上学历，每100个人中就有一个留学归国人员。中关村在促进就业、吸纳人才等方面均做出了示范表率作用。

        未来，中关村还要大力推进技术创新，创造出数量更多、水平更高的自主知识产权；发挥科教资源优势，整合资源，推进“产学研”的结合；发展高新技术产业，为经济结构调整、产业结构升级和可持续发展做贡献。此外，还要在投融资、信用、担保、产权交易、中介服务、政府采购、政府职能转变等机制体制创新方面走在前列，为高新技术企业创造良好的发展环境；吸引和培养高端人才，成为首都高端人才就业创业的聚集区；推动国际化发展，加强国际交流与合作，推动中关村品牌走向世界。

转变经济发展方式的突破口

        始于2008年的国际金融危机，波及之广、影响之深，历史罕见。大批企业处境艰难、社会就业形势空前严峻，而国家高新区及高新技术企业却逆势而上，再次证明了自主创新对一个企业、地方乃至国家的重要性。

        在国际金融危机中，生存困难或倒闭的企业大多是简单依靠传统生产要素投入的企业，缺乏核心技术。相反，凭借持续的研发投入，拥有众多核心技术和自主知识产权的企业，在国际经济形势风云激荡中，不仅没有裁员，反而吸纳了更多劳动力，不仅保持了平稳发展，甚至实现了超常规发展。

        中国改革开放30年的经验与教训表明，传统的粗放型的发展模式已经难以为继，必须要实现经济发展方式的根本性转变，其关键就是要不断提高自主创新能力，走一条创新驱动型的发展道路。新形势下，要实现自主创新驱动经济发展，就必须探索一套科学有效的体制机制，为自主创新提供制度性保障。

        而中关村国家自主创新示范区正是由此而生，通过中关村的探索与实践，为中国积极转变经济发展方式提供一个突破口，最大程度地发挥自主创新在转变经济发展方式中的核心作用。

        作为国家高新区的“排头兵”和中国创新中心，中关村对中国的自主创新事业具有无可比拟的影响力和独特优势，为转变经济发展方式探索出一条科学有效的道路。