A worker with the Yangpu Cloud Computing Innovation Base in Shanghai briefs visitors on the companies operating in the Shanghai Cloud Computing Tower. [Photo/China Daily]

The Yangpu Cloud Computing Innovation Base in Shanghai is on its way to becoming a first-class innovation center in the fields of cloud computing and big data.

One of the parks under the Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone, the cloud computing base was established in 2010 and is key among the innovation platforms in the city.

As a professional industrial park that focuses on cloud computing, big data and other internet-related emerging industries, the cloud computing base helps to solve the problems faced by companies and provides solutions for their growth.

Since its establishment, the Yangpu base has fostered nearly 1,000 innovative enterprises.

According to the base, the operating income of its cloud computing, big data and other related industries reached 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) in 2015.

The cloud computing base is committed to creating an environment suited to serve the development of enterprises along the entire industrial chain in a bid to support construction of the country's cloud computing industry center.

It is an important part of the development of Shanghai's cloud computing and big data industries, said Yang Ling, general manager of Yangpu Cloud Computing Base Development Co Ltd.

Cloud computing and big data represent new trends of information technology development. They are changing the way people access IT services and resources, Yang said.

"The purpose of building the innovation base for cloud computing and big data is to develop an industrial platform in Shanghai which can attract entrepreneurs, investors and partners to promote collaborative innovation and joint development," Yang said.

The goal, Yang noted, is not to merely increase the number of enterprises, but find a way to better connect them for greater effect.

The base also provides support in the forms of physical space and funds.

The Yangpu cloud computing base has established the Shanghai Cloud Computing Tower, covering about 10,000 square meters, which exists to foster startups.

Over the past three years, startups in the building have received more than 8 million yuan from the Yangpu government. Taxes from the enterprises that have been drawn to the building in 2016 have exceeded 100 million yuan.

A number of star enterprises in the cloud computing field are operating their businesses in the building.

The cloud computing base will take a series of steps to further optimize the environment for the development of big data-related businesses.

The base will work with the surrounding universities, such as Fudan University and Tongji University, to establish big data labs and training centers. It will work with leading companies and industry funds to establish a 100,000-square-meter big data industry center.

In addition to attracting and cultivating competitive enterprises, the Yangpu base will increase its investment with a 200-million-yuan investment fund, which is expected to expand to 1 billion yuan in the future.

The base also decided to set up another 1 billion yuan fund to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, which is designed to attract non-government capital for joint assessment, investment and services for big data startups.

The authorities look forward to supporting Shanghai in its journey to become a first-class cloud computing and big data innovation center at the forefront of the world in the fields of financial big data, healthcare big data, automobiles and other segments.