ASPA Event

A Leading Institution for Knowledge Sharing and Technology Exchange in Asia

Annual Conference

The 8th ASPA Annual Conference (2004 / China)

Date
August 26-27, 2004
Venue
Weihai City, Shandong Province, China
Website
Theme
Exchange: enhancing the cooperation and exchanging, Integration: promoting the integration between hightech technology and traditional industry, Upgrade: boosting the upgrade of industrial technology
Host
The Administrative Committee of Weihai Torch High-tech Science Park
Contact Info
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- Participants : 10 countries, 250 Participants



**About Weihai Torch Hi-tech Science Park*
Weihai Torch High-tech Science Park was founded on March 6, 1991. It covers an area of 120 square kilometers and with more than 30 kilometers long coastline. During implementing the "Chinese Torch Plan (CTP)" initiated by Ministry of Science & Technology of China, Weihai Torch High-tech Science Park always persisted in the principle of "Developing high-tech and achieving industrialization" by integrating industry, education and research. As a result, Weihai Torch Hi-tech Science Park has become a base to incubate technological enterprises, a center of transferring international technologies, and a perfect residence of intellectual elites.

Technological innovations have been well carried out by cooperation flexibly with well-known universities, institutes, academes and etc. Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai campus) and Shandong University (Weihai campus) are leading the field of microelectronic design and life science. There are 17 research institutes and 19 colleges have established R&D centers in the science park. Extensive cooperation agreements have been made with top-ten universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, in fields of technological R&D, industrialization and human resources training.

An efficient and functional incubating system, including National Innovation Center, Pioneering Park for overseas intellectuals, Sino-Korean Science & Technology Incubator, and Privately-run incubators, has been constructed to support and "incubate" underway hi-tech enterprises. So far, more than 1,400 enterprises including 200 foreign-funded enterprises have congregated in the park, and four pillar hi-tech industry groups have been taken shape, which are electronic information, bioengineering and pharmacy, new materials, electromechanical integration. Further more, with annual growth rates of major economic indexes above 40 percent, the Science Park has been developed to be a "High-tech Products Export Base", and a "National Model Zone ISO14000" of China.


**About Weihai**
Weihai, a beautiful coastal city located at the east corner of Shandong Peninsula and surrounded by sea from three sides, is situated at the center of Northeast Asia economic area. It faces Liaodong Peninsula to the north and looks over to Korean Penisula and Japan Archipelago to the east. With annual GDP growth rate at 18 percent, Weihai has been widely regarded as one of the cities with rapidest growth and one of the top 50 cities in China according to economic strength. Weihai covers an area of 5436 square kilometers and has a population of 2.5 million. It is also reputed as an ecological coastal tourist city with hi-tech industries due to its excellent natural environment and high level of science and technology.

In Chinese, Weihai means "Dominate the Sea with Power", and its coastal line stretches for 1,000 kilometers. Now Weihai is opening and attracting knowledgeable people from all over the world by its hi-tech industries, favorable climate, excellent ecological environment, and profound cultural charm. As the first "State-Level Sanitory City" in China and one of the first of "State-Level Model City for Environmental Protection", Weihai has been twice awarded as "Dubai International Award for the Best Practice in Improving the Living Environment (DIABP)" by the United Nations (UN). On October 6, 2003, Weihai Municipal Government won "UN Habitat Scroll of Honor Award 2003", which was the only government of a city in the world who won the prize last year.