Innovation center emerges from China's 'manufacturing hub'

Dongguan entrepreneurs are bringing new economic vitality to the city through innovation, as it strives to upgrade from a manufacturing hub to an intelligent manufacturing center.

From Wednesday to Thursday, Dongguan entrepreneurs from all over the world gathered in their hometown to attend the 2016 World Dongguan Entrepreneurs Convention.

Lyu Yesheng, Party chief of Dongguan, said local entrepreneurs are backbones for Dongguan's economic development and also the most valuable treasure of the city. It is their efforts that have supported Dongguan's growth and success, he said.

Lyu said the government will make efforts to create a market-based, law-based and international business environment to help entrepreneurs grow bigger and stronger.

Yin Hongwei, chairman of World Dongguan Entrepreneurs Federation, said that Dongguan enterprises have made big breakthroughs and major changes in their development in recent years.

"In the past, they used to concentrate on traditional industries like foreign trade, property and hotels," Yin said. "Now, a number of high-tech innovative enterprises have emerged in Dongguan, paving the way for the transformation and upgrade of the city's industries."

"Dongguan enterprises need to make concerted efforts and develop hand-in-hand as a group to achieve better development and stronger growth."

The federation, which sponsors the biennial event, has 743 members so far, compared with 522 in 2012. Among them, more than one third are young entrepreneurs.

Mo Haotang, director of the organizing committee of this year's convention and former chairman of the federation, said many Dongguan enterprises have innovated their operations and profit model in accordance with their businesses, and a new generation of Dongguan entrepreneurs are actively exploring emerging industries.

"Dongguan entrepreneurs are becoming more and more confident and are going out of the country to the international stage," Mo added. He said the Dongguan government attaches high importance to the development of the city's non-public sector economy, which gives entrepreneurs confidence and encouragement.

Last year, Dongguan's GDP reached 627.5 billion yuan ($94.1 billion), growing 8 percent compared with a year earlier. Non-public sector GDP now accounts for about 85 percent of the city's total volume.

Huang Jianping, chairman of Guangdong Wonderful Ceramics Co Ltd, said Dongguan is in an important period, filled with opportunities, but also a critical period of economic transformation and restructuring.

Against this backdrop, "we, (as Dongguan entrepreneurs), will seize development opportunities, accelerate our pace of innovation, promote our brands and push forward the scientific development of enterprises," Huang said.

Yin Hongwei (right) is officially installed as the new chairman of the World Dongguan Entrepreneurs Federation at a ceremony in Dongguan.Zheng Lindong / For China Daily