Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone of China and Sophia Antipolis of France Jointly Promote Innovation

NICE, France, July 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone of China and Sophia Antipolis, the French "Silicon Valley", have signed a cooperation agreement and will become "sister technology parks". The signing took place at the Sino-French Scientific and Technological Enterprise Future Leadership Forum (the "Forum") held in the French city of Nice. At the Forum, it was also announced that the Sophia Antipolis China Innovation Center will be established in the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone.

A high-ranking government official who attended the Forum and addressed the audience noted that advocating the cooperation between Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone and Sophia Antipolis technology parks, as well as strengthening exchanges between young Chinese and French entrepreneurs, will be conducive to explorations in new Sino-French collaboration mechanisms and the deepening of relations between France and China.

According to the cooperation agreement, Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone and Sophia Antipolis will undertake exchanges and collaborations in areas such as technological innovation, commerce, trade and investment. The two parks will function as each other's window for cooperation in their respective home countries, and will promote the development of each other's new and hi-tech projects in sectors such as information technology, new energy, environmental protection, biomedicine and high-end equipment manufacturing through conducting activities such as industry dialogues, project matchmaking conferences, seminars on advanced technology topics, innovation and entrepreneurship forums and bilateral visits between each other's tech enterprises.

The two sides will carry out education training programs, including arranging exchange visits between  tech enterprise representative delegations from the two parks with the aim of providing opportunities for them to undertake inspection and training, and participate in senior-level management in tech companies.

Sophia Antipolis is the largest technology park in Europe. After more than 40 years of development, the park has amassed about a thousand hi-tech organizations and research-oriented enterprises that employ technical and research personnel from over 70 countries. Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone is one of China's most famous technology parks, renowned as the "Silicon Valley of Western China". The Zone is home to more than 7,500 science and technology companies, and is an active and leading figure in promoting innovation and cooperation in science and technology between China and Europe.

Pierre Laffitte, founder and chairman of Sophia Antipolis, explained, "I have kept my eyes on China for more than 30 years. On the global map of innovation, the rise of China has captured worldwide attention, and Chengdu is a shining spot on this map of innovation.

"Cooperation between us and Chengdu, especially between Sophia Antipolis and Chengdu Hi-tech Zone, continues to deepen. The signing of this agreement is the beginning of a full-spectrum, in-depth cooperation between the two sides. We look forward to forming transnational industry clusters in sectors such as biomedicine, information technology, new energy and environmental protection."

SOURCE Chengdu High-tech Industrial Development Zone