Hangzhou, the eastern Chinese tech city known as the home of e-commerce giant Alibaba and rising AI star DeepSeek, has announced a series of initiatives to further elevate its status as a hub of innovation.
At a recent press conference, Lou Xiuhua, head of the municipal bureau of science and technology, outlined the city’s plans aimed at enhancing high-level innovation platforms, promoting technology transfer and application, and strengthening the role of enterprises as the main drivers of technological innovation.
One of the key initiatives is a partnership plan encouraging collaboration between tech innovation platforms, universities, enterprises, and industrial chains. The city aims to accelerate the construction of facilities and foundational projects, such as large-scale models and computing power infrastructure.
To support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Hangzhou will allocate more computing power vouchers. These vouchers are government subsidies designed to help SMEs access more computing resources at lower costs, promoting innovative applications of AI technologies and digital transformation.
In addition, Hangzhou will launch an “AI+” initiative to promote the integration and application of artificial intelligence across various industries. The city will also introduce reforms related to the application of technological achievements, encouraging universities and research institutions to license their technological innovations to SMEs under a “use first, pay later” model.
Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, has established itself as a major hub in the internet and tech industries, driving advancements in e-commerce, AI, and digital transformation.
