China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Monday that eleven new technology innovation centers have officially opened, as part of efforts to boost the country’s cultural and tourism industries.
The initiative to establish these centers began in 2023, as stated by Liu Dongyan, deputy director of the ministry’s science and education department, during a press conference.
The first group of centers covers eight provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Liaoning, Zhejiang, and Fujian. They collectively employ almost 1,000 management and technical professionals, with a total investment of over 100 million yuan (approximately 13.91 million U.S. dollars).
These centers are designed to offer comprehensive services to cultural and tourism businesses, assisting them through all stages, from research and development (R&D) to pilot testing and commercialization.
In terms of R&D, the centers focus on five key areas in the cultural and tourism sectors: performance equipment, amusement facilities, smart tourism and scenic area development, art displays and interactive experiences, and the digitalization and intelligence of cultural services.
One center has successfully partnered with over 6,300 scenic spots, resulting in annual sales of more than 300 million tickets. Another has collaborated with organizations that produce over 80% of the world’s mid-to-high-end virtual reality (VR) headsets.
Liu highlighted that the technology innovation centers are becoming increasingly important in shaping and advancing the technological development of the industry.
Additionally, Liu revealed that the selection process for the second batch of centers is underway. The new centers will focus on high-priority public issues, sectors with urgent needs, emerging market trends, and cutting-edge technologies.
“These new centers will address gaps in the current innovation system, enhancing both technological and regional strategies,” Liu added.
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