Source: CCTV.com

12-15-2008 14:12

Zhongguancun, as the name suggests, was once a small village on the outskirts of Beijing. But that was 30 years ago. Zhongguancun is now known for its multitude of companies and universities, all devoted to the very latest in technology. In this portion of our BizChina 360 series on 30 years of reform and opening-up, Niu Yun finds charm in the many individual stories that make up what many call China's very own Silicon Valley.

Zhongguancun is now known for its multitude of companies  and universities, all devoted to the very latest in  technology.

Bustling with activity. That could be the first impression of anyone who ventures into Zhongguancun street. But not so far away, in the quiet of a lab at Tsinghua University, young students are discussing solar photovoltaic technology. Ye Yuming, still in his senior year at college, has just taken third place in a Technology Start-Up Competition for college students around the country.

Ye Yuming, student of Tsinghua University said "China lags behind other countries in the solar power industry. I think the solar PV will help us improve and break the monopoly held by foreign businesses. Secondly, I think the solar PV has huge market potential, especially in China. It could be a cash cow. These are the reasons that made me draw up a business plan for this area."

His plan met with a warm response from a professor who had been working in the field for more than a decade. But academics often do not know how to turn science into profit.The late Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping, called technology a driving force for productivity. But the nagging question has always been how to use technology in a way that is commercially productive.

Scattered across Zhongguancun and its neighboring areas, is the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 39 other top universities. A rough calculation suggests that there are nearly 500 thousand scientists, technicians and college students in the area, the biggest gathering of human talent in the country. And that's helped Zhongguancun make its name as a center for reform in technology.