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October 27, 2014

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Brainpower creates a better tomorrow

SHIPS that can collect and analyze date, a Chinese navigation system to break the GPS monopoly and medical diagnosis with capsule-size cameras inside body. With these and other breakthroughs, Shanghai has firmly established itself at the forefront of innovation that is changing the way people live.

There’s a lot of talk about “innovation” in China nowadays. Shanghai wants to get beyond the slogans and develop a “smart city” environment where exploring new ideas, methods and products becomes the norm.

“Booming new technologies like big data analysis and cloud computing have created a new economy landscape and new business opportunities,” Ma Xingfa, vice president of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, told a recent conference. “Technology innovation has become the strategic choice of Shanghai. The city is advancing as a technology innovation center with global influence.”

Shanghai has drafted an Industry 4.0 plan to integrate big data, cloud computing and Internet of Things technologies with traditional sectors like shipbuilding and medicine.

In 2013, Shanghai nurtured the development of landmark projects such as new-energy cars, aircraft engine development, testing and application of the locally devised Beidou navigation system, a local cloud computing industry alliance and the publication of a three-year blueprint for the big data industry.

China’s Beidou navigation system, mainly developed and tested in Shanghai, has achieved positioning accuracy within one meter. Once the system is completed, customers can receive free positioning services from Beidou and GPS, with a dual-mode receiver in cars and handsets sold in China.

Improved and upgraded IT infrastructure underscores Shanghai’s efforts to become a “smart city,” applying advanced technologies to transport, education and medical sectors.

For example, Shanghai residents will be able to easily check the arrival times of 14,000 buses on 900 bus routes by the end of this year, up from 589 routes at present, according to the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Informatization.

“The smart city will change processes of government departments and further enhance everyone’s daily life,” said Li Yaoxin, chairman of the commission.

4G network coverage downtown and public Wi-Fi spots numbered 22,000 by 2013, triple the previous year. That ranked Shanghai tops among Chinese cities in IT infrastructure, especially in network and telecommunications sectors.

Shanghai is already a nationwide leader in integrated circuits, which account for one-third of national revenue, online games, e-commerce and broadband network speeds.

By 2016, the city’s e-commerce trade transactions are forecast to double to 2 trillion yuan (US$326 billion) from 2013 levels.

At the end of 2014, Shanghai’s fiber optic high-speed Internet access network covered more than 8 million families, nearly a sevenfold increase from three years ago.

Beyond “hardware” breakthroughs, Shanghai also has taken steps to create an ideal environment for talented professionals to congregate and flourish.

By the end of 2013, Shanghai had established 16 new city-level “incubation” bases, raising the total number to 101. These centers house 4,087 start-up firms, which are granted tax incentives and special loan and investment opportunities through bridging technology and finance industries, according to the science and technology commission.

“We will try our best to offer them better conditions for innovation, especially younger people under the age of 32,” said Ma.

The Shanghai pilot Free Trade Zone, regarded as one of China’s most dramatic reform programs, had attracted 12,000 firms by September, thanks to policies loosening government controls over business activities.

According to the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce, registered capital of companies in the zone exceeded 340 billion yuan by September. More than 40 percent of the companies had registered capital of no less than 10 million yuan.

Amazon.com, the biggest US e-commerce website, is testing the waters through a subsidiary in the zone. It aims to offer direct services to China’s mainland, allowing customers in the world’s largest Internet market to buy foreign products in yuan.

Besides Amazon, SAP and Microsoft also have set up new facilities in Shanghai, including their Chinese cloud computing centers.

Hewlett-Packard, for its part, has focused on using new technologies, such as cloud, big data and mobile services, to expand business with a low-carbon footprint.

“Through technology innovation, HP is enabling enterprises to build up strong businesses while achieving energy and sustainability goals, accelerating their journey toward a green future,” Jessica Guo, HP China’s vice president, said during the 2014 HP Technology Innovation Summit held recently in Shanghai.

The 7th Pujiang Innovation Forum, held over the weekend in Shanghai, took as its theme “Global Innovation and Sharing Opportunities.” The event brought together politicians, business leaders and academics to discuss innovation-driven development and the construction of a global technology innovation center.

Translated to the lay level, innovation is reshaping the daily activities of Shanghai people and businesses.

Smart ships and vehicles

Two ocean liners anchored in Shanghai have been refitted with data calculation and analysis functions and the ability of “learning.” The smart upgrade allows the ships to use computers to complete half of the tasks formerly done by crews, thus reducing risk of accidents by 70 percent.

More than 300 sensors and networks are installed in the ships, which connect and transmit data to control centers on land. The data, covering factors such as weather, gas prices, transportation fees and ship conditions, can be analyzed in the centers and used to guide the ships toward the safest and most economic routes.

Another ship with an even more advanced intelligence system is now under design in Shanghai and expected to be operational within two or three years.

Vehicle-to-vehicle connections are also being used in China’s automotive industry to improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion and ultimately create a smarter transport infrastructure, said NXP, a semiconductor firm that makes related chipsets.

By transforming the traditional car into a personalized mobile information hub connected to other cars and to a city smart transportation system, chipsets and software make driving safer and more convenient, analysts said.

“As the No. 1 automotive semiconductor provider in China, NXP is collaborating with local clients to accelerate the penetration of secure connected car technology, such as smart car access and remote car management,” Drue Freeman, NXP’s senior vice president of global automotive sales and marketing, said recently in Shanghai.

Intelligent transportation

Qiao Lingwen, a Dazhong Taxi driver in Shanghai, happily displays the two-dimensional codes on his phone when passengers are ready to pay.

The codes allow payment through Alipay, the most popular mobile payment tool in China. Alipay is often bundled with users’ bankcard accounts.

“Paperless payments are easy and safe for both passengers and drivers,” said Qiao, who used to face the problems of lack of change and passengers using counterfeit money.

At present, more than 1.2 million taxi drivers in 350 cities nationwide can offer the mobile-payment service, according to Kuaidi, which allows users to book taxis through mobile phones.

Uber offers another choice to Shanghai citizens when taxis are hard to find during rush hours. The company announced last week that it is launching People’s Uber, a non-profit ridesharing pilot program, in six Chinese cities including Shanghai.

Riders are matched to car owners offering rides to fellow city residents, and the riders help cover costs of the trip.

At the end of the journey, riders and car owners rate each other to complete a profile of users. The details of every trip are logged through Uber’s app.

Besides efficient transportation, the new technology contributes to a better environment, with carbon emissions reduction, Uber said.

Intelligent medical service

Capsule-size robots with cameras are now being used in Shanghai hospitals to help doctors diagnose stomach problems. The remote-controlled robot helps doctor do a painless diagnosis within 15 minutes, compared with traditional methods that take a long time and can be painful.

The NaviCam system is now used in nine hospitals in Shanghai, including one expat-oriented facility.

In July, Ankon Technologies, developer of capsule robot, announced plans to build new production lines in Jinqiao in the Pudong New Area, with expected annual production capacity doubling to 1 million units valued at 4 billion yuan.

With the increased production volume, the cost the new service, now about 3,600 yuan, will be significantly reduced.

At the same time, Google Glass, the latest wearable computing gadget, is being used in medical training in Shanghai. Selected surgeries are now broadcast through Google Glass and used for training new doctors and medical students.

Shanghai just launched a city-level plan for integrating the Internet of Things with the healthcare system. The project will focus on care for the aged and on food and drug management.

The Internet of Things, which features radio communication connections among devices and tags, can be used for tracking sources of problematic food or drugs.

Marketing with big data

To Weibo Vice President Elaine Wang, big data is a powerful tool to better understand user demands and further explore business opportunities for one of China’s most popular social networks.

“We know who they are following and what they like, and we want to better make use of that data,” said Wang during a Weibo ceremony with professional data analysis firm Acxiom in Shanghai.

The companies said they will jointly establish a platform that allows marketers and publishers to deliver high-efficient digital marketing services, offering users customized and targeted content in a privacy-compliant method.

Users can gain content and information tailored for them through concise big data analysis, said Wang, who has tested digital marketing with firms like Xiaomi and Huawei, two China-brand mobile phone vendors.

Besides social platforms, video websites like Youku Tudou and iQiyi also aim to integrate e-commerce with video services. Big data helps them to better know who video watchers are and what else they may want.




 

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