A man walks past the office buildings at the Tsinghua University Science Park (Tuspark) in the Shangdi area of Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese science and technology parks are turning to Russian markets to look for growth opportunities, leveraging on coordinated efforts between Russia's Eurasian Economic Union and China's Belt and Road initiatives.
One of these is TusPark, a science park managed by Tsinghua University, which has close connections with its Russian counterpart, Skolkovo Technology Park. The relationship was based on a strategic cooperation framework agreement signed in 2014, in the presence of Premier Li Keqiang and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, according to China Daily.
Russian cooperation with Chinese science parks has already started, with both TusPark and Z-Park allowed to use Skolkovo to gain access to the Russia's high-tech market, according to Yuri Saprykin, vice-president of the Far East division of Skolkovo.
Saprykin added that they are planning a joint investment for a science park in Moscow, which is expected to further boost science park cooperation. The plan will be discuss in the two prime ministers' upcoming meeting this month.
Meanwhile, Medvedev said that Skolkovo, said to be the largest science park in Europe, underwent a major innovation and it has been cooperating with Chinese tech parks and high-tech firms.
"Now in Moscow there are 26 science parks, and a number of science parks operate in other places," Medvedev noted. "Still advanced knowledge and equipment from other countries are needed, and different models and forms of innovation from different territories, such as special economic zones, scientific parks and innovation clusters from China and other countries, are needed."
Herbert Chen, vice-president of TusPark, said that TusPark's business strategy was created with the Belt and Road Initiatives in mind. Their strategy was geared towards the Russian market.
"Chinese science parks have established connections with Russian parks over the past 10 years, and Russia has been a key area when making the international strategy," Chen said. "In the future there will be more Russian elements in their plan."
Zheng Xiaodong, managing director of international operation of Z-Park, said that the innovation cooperation between China and Russia provide opportunities for Chinese tech parks.
"On one hand, such cooperation has gained full support from both governments in the policy aspect," Zheng said. "On the other hand, both sides are actively seeking a new direction of opportunities."
"In the past the direction was energy cooperation, and then military cooperation, now we can see more cooperative points in innovation," he added.
Meanwhile, Saprykin said that the current Sino-Russian relations and policy support from both governments have enhanced their business links with China. "But as a businessman, we prefer saying that we want to cooperate with China because we really see lots of potential, and there will be a win-win for both countries," Saphyrin added.
