Zhou Naixiang, Deputy Secretary of CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee and Mayor of Suzhou, made an inspectional tour on December 19 to CAS (Chinese Academy of Science) Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Higer Bus, and Huawei Digital Technologies (Suzhou), hoping they would seize the opportunities to speed up R&D and innovation so as to make new breakthrough in key projects, technologies, and market development, and to make new contributions to Suzhou's transformation and growth. Wang Xiang, Standing Committee member of CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee and Secretary of CPC SIP Working Committee, and Secretary-General Liu Xiongwei of Suzhou municipal government were among the accompanying officials.

Nano-technology greatly promotes such rising sectors as new energy, new material, and hi-end manufacturing. It has been a new strength of the city. The SINANO is a cooperation project of Chinese Academy of Science, Jiangsu Province, and Suzhou City. It now has three public platforms dedicated to nano-processing, test and analysis, and biochemistry, which recorded 90,000 machines/hours of social services and provides strong support to local emerging industries. Zhou asked about the platforms, the commercialization of research results, the recruitment and cultivation of professionals, and the construction of Big Science Machines. "It's important to create a technological innovation system centering on companies, meeting market needs, and combining industries, education, and research," he said. The goal is to allow nanotech to play an increasingly significant role in promoting traditional industries and boosting rising industries.

Huawei is a world-class provider of information and communication solutions. In 2012, it opened an R&D subsidiary and has moved its medicine, energy, and communication divisions to SIP. At the completion of its independent R&D base and business headquarters, there will be 10,000 R&D professionals stationed in the city. At its exhibition hall, the officials learned about the future applications of new-generation digital technologies in transport, security, and conference. "Suzhou has good industries and this means great potentials for development and application of digital technologies," he said. "The new-generation information technologies should be closely related to the city's industrial transformation, city growth, and people's daily life so as to achieve integrated development."

The central government lists the development of new-energy vehicle as a national strategy and Suzhou achieved a breakthrough in the field this year. At Higer Bus, Zhou went inside an electric bus and asked about its operation cost, battery capacity, and charging technique. At learning that the company's sales exceeded 10 billion yuan this year and sold 1,300 new-energy vehicles in last two months, he spoke highly of its performance and said the state, provincial, and municipal support produced the best opportunities for the industry. "It's important to continuously invest in innovating key technologies, developing new models, improving after-sale services, as well as in promotion and marketing. The management should make visionary plans on charging stations and keep exploring new territories for the entire industry."