Ten key sci-tech projects were unveiled at the recent Science and Technology Forum of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games by Wang Wei, vice chairman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and Lin Rong, vice director of BOCOG's Technical Department.

The key projects announced are:

1. Planning and implementation of intelligent traffic control in Beijing;
2. R&D, operation demonstration and mass production of electric vehicles;
3. Clean energy demonstration;
4. Intelligent multilingual information service network;
5. R&D in key technologies for sandstorm prevention in Beijing;
6. Development and application of high-performance micro-satellites for ground observation;
7. Research on key food safety technologies;
8. Research on key security information technologies and simulation testing for the Olympic Games;
9. Technical standard and application demonstration of environmentally friendly construction;
10. Research on doping control methods and related equipment.

At the meeting, Wang Wei also disclosed BOCOG's four main tasks for the year.

Construction will begin on 35 competition venues in various cities, including Shanghai and Tianjin as well as in Beijing. The designs of the Olympic Forest Park and the Central Zone will be decided during the first half of the year. Construction of three subways linking the Olympic Park with other parts of Beijing will be sped up.

Headway will be made this year in marketing plans for the Games. Negotiations between BOCOG and domestic and foreign enterprises are under way, and Wang stated that BOCOG hopes to make its decisions on partners and sponsors shortly. In addition, domestic franchised businesses will begin operations this year.

BOCOG also announced that it will continue to employ professionals of high caliber, both from society at large and from professional organizations. Some staff will be sent for internships with the Olympic Organizing Committee of Athens.

Various cultural activities will continue throughout the year, and in the second half BOCOG will launch its nationwide solicitation for the 2008 Olympics mascot.

(China.org.cn by Wang Qian, February 22, 2004)