German Industrial Park (GIP)
Located in the town of Zhangpu, GIP is a result of partnership between Kunshan Municipal Government and Delegations of German Industry and Commerce. The core area of GIP occupies 8 sq km, hosting 119 companies with RMB 15 billion in combined yearly sales.
After a decade of development, GIP has developed three economic pillars—precision machinery; food processing; and corporate headquarters and logistics. It hosts investment projects of six Fortune 500 companies, which are Tyco Electronics, ITW, VF, General Mills, Kellogg's and Wilmar International. Eisenmann Group, Germany's largest and the world's third largest supplier of auto engineering technology, is currently the largest German company based in GIP. It is followed by an increasing number of European and American companies. To date, GIP hosts 102 European and American companies, 43 of which are German-invested. At a total investment of USD one billion, the yearly sales of GIP currently stand at RMB 9 billion.
In the next 3 to 5 years, GIP will become an advanced manufacturing park with high concentrations of European and American branded companies that are efficient, technology intensive and environmentally friendly. The number of European and American companies is expected to increase to 200, 100 of which will be German companies.
Mondragon Industrial Park
Situated west of the Huangpujiang Road in the town of Qiandeng, the park occupies a planned area of about 970 acres. By the end of 2015, the park had 23 companies, all of which were Spanish companies. Fifteen companies reported a yearly turnover above RMB 20 million, including Gestamp Auto Components (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., Edscha Automotive Components Kunshan Co., Ltd., Fagor Metalforming Machine Tool (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., Orkli (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. and Caamano Asia (Kunshan) Furniture and Complements Co., Ltd. These companies have totally invested USD 379 million, with a combined registered capital of USD 158 million. Their business activities cover a broad range of fields, including medical materials, metals, auto parts and components, electronics and precision machinery, which all promise bright market prospects and a robust growth momentum. In 2015, the park achieved RMB 2,799 million in sales, up 1%, and collected RMB 207 million in tax, up 25.9%. Several leading companies of the park achieved a 10% year-on-year growth, including Gestamp, Orkli, CIKAUTXO and Edscha.
Kunshan Business Incubator for Overseas Chinese Scholars (KSCYY)
KSCYY was co-founded by the provincial departments of HR and science and technology and KETD. It was the first business incubator of its kind to be set up in a county-level city, as well as the only incubator in a county-level city that is co-funded by a central government body and the provincial government. Covering a built area of 140,000 sqm, the park has developed a number of sub-incubators, including Science & Technology Plaza, Modern Plaza and Technology Entrepreneur Center. It has given birth to a number of companies specialized in various fields such as electronics, smart devices, new materials and environmental technology. In Suzhou, it was the first park to introduce programs for academicians, post-doctoral researchers and graduates, as well as technology internship opportunities for undergraduates. KSCYY is the major hub of technology innovation and pool of talent in KETD. By the end of 2015, it had attracted 827 overseas Chinese experts, 431 technology companies and 106 prominent experts. They had developed 573 new products, provided 7,600 jobs and contributed RMB 240 million in tax revenue. Three companies incubated here are now listed on stock exchanges.
Tsinghua Science Park (Kunshan)
This park is a government-university partnership between Jiangsu Province and Tsinghua University. The first phase covers about 34 acres, with a built area of 110,000 sqm. Put into operation in 2006, the park was designated as a provincial-level technology business incubator and a national-level hi-tech business incubation service center. By the end of 2014, the park had cumulatively incubated nearly 150 companies and projects and graduated over 50 technology companies, including four public companies as well as influential commercialization projects such as the OLED project of Visionox, the RNAi project of Ribo and the large hydraulic press project.
Kunshan Industrial Technology Research Institute (KSITRI)
In July 2008, KSITRI was incorporated in the name of Kunshan Industrial Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. Honored as a national demonstration organization of technology transfer and a model public service platform for SMEs, KSITRI is among the first group of industrial technology research institutes in Jiangsu Province. Around the mission of "Driving the concentration of emerging industries and facilitating innovation among SMEs", KSITRI follows an open, networked and integrated approach to technology R&D and public technology service based on the economic strengths of Kunshan. Oriented towards RNAi, robotics, precision machinery, electronics and IT, it has established six research institutes, four public service platforms, two technology transfer centers and a venture capital. Its subsidiaries and affiliates also include: RNAi Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd., Robotics Research Institute Co., Ltd., Public Technology Service Center for the Tool & Die Industry and 3D Printing Equipment Research Institute of the National Engineering Lab of Additive Manufacturing for Polymers and Complex Structures.
Innovation Center for Robots and Smart Equipment Manufacturing
While moving the local economy up the value ladder, robots and smart equipment manufacturing have been prioritized in Kunshan's effort to promote smart manufacturing locally. Kunshan has developed a plan to accelerate the clustering of robotics and smart manufacturing companies. It aims to develop 200 companies with an annual output of over RMB 100 million, whose combined income from their main businesses will reach RMB 100 billion, in the next three to five years. By the end of 2015, there were 206 companies specialized in robotics and smart equipment. Among them, 29 companies were suppliers of robots; 47, suppliers of robotic parts and components; 130, smart equipment and devices. Totally, they had achieved a yearly income of RMB 20 billion and combined to form a value chain ranging from robots to controls, visual systems, system integration and application.
Kunshan Business Incubator for Cross-Straits Youth
The incubator is located within Yangcheng Lake Science Park, with a built area of 2,800 sqm. Since its inception, it has attracted multiple start-ups and has forged partnership with Forwork, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the park as a bridge between interested companies and the local government. Moreover, 11 entrepreneurship mentors have been invited from across the straits to share their experience and success stories with young entrepreneurs from Taiwan and the mainland.
This incubator also serves as the center for several other smaller incubators, including KSCYY, Yoooou in Huaqiao, TusSpace, Innovation Service Center, the Micro-Business Incubator of Kunshan Taiwanese Investors Association, and Private Technology Business Incubator. By creating diverse incubators, Kunshan strives to create an ecosystem that provides services for innovators, creators, makers and entrepreneurs.
Kunshan Cross-Border E-Commerce Service Platform
In March 2016, Kunshan Cross-Border E-Commerce Service Platform and Taiwanese Goods Exhibition Hall were activated at the Huaqiao International Expo Center. As an important part of the Cross-Straits Pilot Zone of E-commerce Cooperation, this platform is China's only customs clearance platform that can simultaneously connect with multiple cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou and Beijing. It is also the only cross-border e-commerce service platform in Suzhou. The platform is made up of several modules, including E-Commerce Registration, Goods Registration and Portal. With the support of data statistics, analysis and data-informed decision making, it offers one-window service for cross-border e-business, covering customs, inspection, taxation, foreign exchange and logistics. Leveraging the transaction data of leading E-commerce companies from home and abroad, such as eBay, Alibaba and DHGate, the platform will be a strong boost to the development and expansion of cross-border E-commerce in Kunshan.