Firms in the Shanghai Pudong Software Park are expected to generate exports of US$200 million this year, 33 percent growth year-on-year as the national software base expanded its site.

The city's biggest software industrial park released the projections yesterday.

In 2006, exports of firms in the park reached US$152 million and the figure reached US$78 million in the first half in 2007. The exports will grow rapidly in the second half as the park's operator has expanded the site.

"The Shanghai park will become a software product, talent and service center to the west line of the Pacific," Hu Hongliang, the park's general manager, said during a trade fair organized by SPSP.

The park has invested 2.1 billion yuan (US$276 million) in constructing a third-phase site that will be finished in 2008.

Meanwhile, the national software export base has also expanded by opening a facility in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province.

SAP and AIA have signed with the park to set up facilities in the third-phase base, probably by the end of this year, according to SPSP.

Many foreign giants, including India-based Infosys and Japan's Sony, have set up facilities in the park.

SPSP is hosting the Second National Software Outsourcing Base (Shanghai) Trade Fair, which opened yesterday. The two-day fair has attracted 108 firms.

The revenue of Shanghai's software industry is likely to jump 30 percent to hit 80 billion yuan this year.

(Shanghai Daily October 19, 2007)