Overview of Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Area

Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Area (HEDA) is a state-level development zone approved by the State Council in April 1993. With a jurisdiction area of 104.7 square kilometers, it currently has an established area of 34 sq km and a population of 200,000.

HEDA has set three targets of constructing an international advanced manufacturing base, a university town and a gardenlike ecotypic city sub-center, and is making efforts to vitalize the zone through industry, strengthen it with science and education, and realize sustainable development. At present, HEDA has become a crucial base of modern industry, export-oriented economy, higher education and scientific research in Hangzhou and even in Zhejiang. HEDA is also among the top 15 of 49 state-level development zones.

International advanced manufacturing base

HEDA has intensified its efforts to attract investment and to be an advanced manufacturing base. As of 2012, HEDA has attracted 390 foreign-funded enterprises from 30 countries and regions. The contracted foreign capital has reached $3.7 billion (24.69 million yuan), and the actual use of foreign capital has amounted to $1.7 billion. HEDA has also attracted 248 domestic investors, with a total investment of 15.5 billion yuan. Among them, 24 enterprises on Fortune 500 list have invested in 38 projects there. In April 2004, the Hangzhou Export Processing Zone was established in HEDA as a pilot unit. In May 2005, HEDA was approved to be the National (Hangzhou) Computer and Network Product Industrial Park by the Ministry of Information Industry.

HEDA hosts mobile telecommunication manufacturers of mainframe and accessories, including Motorola, Eastcom, Mitsubishi, Foxconn and Huayu Electronics. Toshiba has established its global laptop manufacturing base at HEDA with an annual capacity of 2.4 million units. As Zhejiang's medical industry manufacturing base, HEDA has introduced a batch of manufacturing enterprises and research centers of genetic engineering, natural medicine and preparation and medical equipment, including Jiuyuan Gene, Allergan, Kanglaite, Terumo, Asahi Kasei Medical, and Zhejiang University Pharmaceutical Company. HEDA is also the largest beverage manufacturing base in Zhejiang province, home to three well-known brands, Coca Cola, Master Kong and Wahaha.

In 2004, HEDA achieved a regional gross product of 13 billion yuan, a gross industrial output value of 50.4 billion yuan, and a foreign trade and export volume of $2.54 billion, ranking the 11th, 9th and 7th respectively among the 49 state-level development zones countrywide.

Xiasha University town

HEDA has established Xiasha Higher Education Park, the largest training area in Zhejiang province, at 10.91 sq km. There are 15 higher education institutions, including China Jiliang University, Zhejiang College of Finance & Economics, and Zhejiang College of Media and Communications. HEDA is making great efforts to create an exchange platform with industry, education and research, to develop a more knowledge-based economy and technology-intensive industry and to enhance the core competitiveness of HEDA.

Gardenlike ecotypic city sub-center

Xiasha New Town, with an area of 178 sq km and HEDA at its center, is the sub-center of Hangzhou. To build a gardenlike ecotypic town for people to invest and settle, HEDA is actively advancing the process of urbanization. Several crucial infrastructure facilities have been constructed, including the central administration and business district of Xiasha New Town and public transportation linking Xiasha and the downtown of Hangzhou. HEDA has also constructed an ecological wetland park along the Qiantang River, with plans to build a large ecological residential area that can accommodate 150,000 residents. Meanwhile, some large-scale commercial facilities have been established, including Frid Culture Plaza and Xiasha Trade Centre. All these will help provide an environment more livable, comfortable and convenient, and make HEDA a modern, international and people-friendly city sub-center.