Suzhou Industrial Park provides fertile ground for innovation

More than 30 years ago, Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) was just a stretch of low-lying paddy fields on the outskirts of Suzhou, eastern China's Jiangsu province. Today, towering skyscrapers and modern infrastructure define the skyline of what has become a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship. 

This combo photo shows a blueprint of the Suzhou Industrial Park drawn in 1994 (top) and an aerial view of the industrial park (bottom) in 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The transformation began in the spring of 1994, when SIP was launched as the first cooperation project between the Chinese and Singaporean governments, aiming to build a world-class industrial zone.

For three decades, SIP has centered its growth strategy on openness and innovation. In 2024, the park's GDP reached 400.2 billion yuan (US$55.68 billion), making up nearly one sixth of the entire city's GDP. Its R&D intensity reached 5.61% this year, among the highest in China's economic and technological development zones.

"Opening-up and innovation are the park's greatest feature," said Liu Hua, vice chairperson of the Administrative Committee of SIP, during an interview on Wednesday.

Much of SIP's growth has been driven by its efforts of supporting enterprises as the main players in its innovative development. The park channels resources to help them launch businesses, tackle technological challenges, and unlock new creative potential.

So far, SIP is home to more than 10,000 technology companies and over 3,000 national high-tech enterprises. It has also cultivated more than 4,600 small and medium-sized tech firms. 

"We provide efficient services and support to companies, achieving win-win results through cooperation," Liu said. She added that SIP has accelerated the development of a modern industrial system centered on artificial intelligence, digital industries, and next-generation information technologies.

AISpeech is one such company that came to SIP to develop conversational artificial intelligence. Yu Kai, the firm's co-founder and chief scientist, said Suzhou was the first national development zone in China to support AI development with dedicated policies.

"Suzhou is very active in attracting investment and boasts strong technological infrastructure," Yu said. Even before he founded AISpeech in 2007, local officials had visited Cambridge University, where he earned his Ph.D. in engineering, to promote investment opportunities.

"I chose to set up my company in SIP because Suzhou offers a solid foundation with its strategic planning, efficient governance, and clear support for technology industry policies," he said.

Today, AISpeech holds 1,597 intellectual property rights and has developed over 70 national and industry standards. Its clients include major automakers and tech firms such as Mercedes-Benz, BYD, Haier, and Xiaomi.

Last year, the Yangtze River Delta Innovation Consortium in Language Computing, led by AISpeech, was selected as one of the first 12 Yangtze River Delta innovation consortiums.

"Through this consortium, companies and institutions work together to accelerate breakthroughs in key technologies and applications," Yu said. "It will play a key role in advancing the development and application of language intelligence technologies in China."