Wan Gang, vice-chairman of the CPPCC and Minister of Science and Technology, hosted the third conference of the East Lake National Innovation Exemplary Zone on Dec 21.

Participants included Li Hongzhong, secretary of the Hubei provincial Party committee, Wang Guosheng, governor of Hubei province, and the Minister of Finance, Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Land and Resources and other officials.

They discussed the construction progress and the implementation of innovation-driven development of the exemplary zone and proposals to solve issues concerning reform and innovation in the zone.

Wan said that the park must attach importance to science and technology input and use technological resources, so as to facilitate achievements in technology.

He suggested that officials should conduct further research on the key issues of the exemplary zone and on the promotion of innovation-driven development, introduction of talent, capital and technology and other innovative elements, so as to boost the development of the exemplary zone.

Li said that the favorable policies for innovation decided at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee will assist the development of the zone in its innovative-driven strategy, speed up industrial transformation and upgrading, help implement the policy support of national ministries and rely on the fundamental role of market in resource allocation.

He also called for more support for the right of colleges to use their scientific research findings. Officials including Cao Jianlin, vice-minister of Science and Technology, Du Zhanyuan, vice-minister of Education and Mao Weiming, vice-minister of Industry and Information Technology, gave speeches on reform and innovation of the exemplary zone.

In addition, officials from the Human Resources and Social Security Department of the National Development and Reform Committee, the Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Commerce, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, also made statements.

And Tang Liangzhi, mayor of Wuhan, gave a presentation about the difficulties facing the zone, which aims to be a comprehensive experimental zone of scientific system reform, and said he hoped officials would support the city to use scientific and technologic findings, and also assist emerging industry development and high-level talent input.

Edited by Niva Whyman and Le Qin