In the mid winter season, walking in the Loudi Economic Development Zone, the construction sites of key projects are bustling with activity, and the machines in the industrial park workshops are roaring... Everywhere is filled with vibrant vitality, surging with a wave of high-quality development.

Loudi has the advantage of millions of tons of steel, and the steel and its deep processing industry have entered the billion dollar industrial cluster in our province. The "new steel materials" from the Loudi Economic Development Zone are naturally the "watchdogs" in the experimental field of technological innovation in Loudi.

The thin specification ultra-high strength steel plate of Liangang is a key raw material for the manufacturing of large-scale engineering equipment, which directly determines the service life of the equipment. "Before 2011, we almost relied on imports. We tackled this' bottleneck 'technology and developed the world's highest level structural steel plate and the highest hardness wear-resistant steel plate, solving the two major global problems of strength and toughness contradiction and low residual stress control of ultra-high strength steel plates." Liang Liang, director of Liangang Technology Center, introduced that in February this year, he and his team relied on the key technology and application of this project, Winning the honor of "Provincial Science and Technology Progress First Prize".

With the help of technology, steel pieces have developed their martial arts skills and become the leader. At present, the Loudi Economic Development Zone has built the world's largest production base for heat treatment of thin specification ultra-high strength steel plates, meeting the urgent needs of China's high-end equipment manufacturing industry for the manufacture of high-performance ultra-high strength steel plates. It has achieved reverse exports from steel powers such as Europe and America, enhanced national independent security capabilities and international influence, and achieved significant economic and social benefits.

Enterprises are the main force of technological innovation. In order to provide the necessary resource support for innovation, the park integrates various innovative resources and builds a high-level "Material Valley" science and technology innovation center. Focusing on the science and technology innovation needs of key industries such as steel and new materials, equipment manufacturing, and advanced ceramics in the city, it constructs research and development platforms and innovation service platforms, providing a convenient environment and conditions for enterprises.

Strong projects drive the transformation of scientific and technological achievements to flourish everywhere

Relying on the industrial research platform of leading enterprises in the park, Loudi Economic and Technological Development Zone has carried out technological breakthroughs around "checkpoints" and "blockages" in the form of unveiling and leading, and 11 achievements have won awards in the provincial "double innovation" competition.

Continuous innovation investment has led to the emergence of a batch of major scientific research transformation achievements——

ZTE Hydraulic has developed the most difficult 48.5-ton large excavation oil cylinder, which has gradually replaced imports. The market demand is strong, which is conducive to the company's subsequent market development, achieving outstanding performance in hydraulic oil cylinders, and leading the market; Antias DC relay ceramic casing won the provincial manufacturing industry single championship; Liangang won the second prize of the Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award for "Performance Improvement and Lightweight Application Technology Innovation of High Strength Hot Rolling Strip for Commercial Vehicles"; Wujiang High tech Chip Packaging Dry Film Technology won first place in the Provincial Disruptive Technology Innovation Competition; VAMA Phase II introduced innovative coating technology to produce high-strength and corrosion-resistant steel, filling the gap in the production of high-strength and ultra-high strength automotive panels in China, and was awarded the title of Excellent Project of Key Engineering in Hunan Province; Wenchang New Material Aluminum Matrix Composite Material Large Component Direct Forming Technology and Its Application Won First Prize of Technology Invention Award

A project is a new growth point; A batch of projects is a new growth pole. Opening up the answer sheets of enterprises in the Loudi Economic Development Zone in scientific and technological innovation work, multiple research and development projects have blossomed. Behind this, the park tightly grasps and makes good use of the card of technological innovation, creating innovation legends by establishing an innovation orientation, focusing on innovative projects, and strengthening innovative enterprises.

Data showcases brilliant achievements. In the first three quarters, the entire region is expected to achieve a production value of 66.307 billion yuan for high-tech products above designated size. Currently, among the 161 industrial enterprises above designated size in the park, 83% of them have research and development activities.

Excellent environment, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship vitality throughout the park

The leaders of Loudi Economic Development Zone are well aware that technological innovation determines how fast and high an enterprise can go, and the management and service innovation of the park is related to how stable and far an enterprise can go.

To promote innovation driven development, the park formulates and improves science and technology innovation policies, provides policy support and incentive mechanisms for enterprises, and provides a stable and sustainable innovation environment——

Formulate the Interim Measures for Rewarding the High Quality Development of Park Economy in Loudi Economic and Technological Development Zone, fully mobilize positive factors for development, accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading, and promote high-quality development of park economy; Formulate the Interim Measures for Promoting the Digital Development of Industries in the Loudi Economic and Technological Development Zone, focusing on promoting the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, promoting the digital transformation of park enterprises empowered by the new generation of information technology, and enhancing their production efficiency and industrial competitiveness.

Loudi's "Material Valley" is a talent stage. As the pillar of economic development in Loudi, the Loudi Economic Development Zone attracts more high-precision and cutting-edge talents to gather here——

For newly introduced top domestic and foreign talents, national industrial leaders, etc., a maximum reward subsidy of 1.5 million yuan will be given, and a maximum purchase subsidy of 300000 yuan will be given; For urgently needed talents and teams in key areas, a maximum subsidy of 2 million yuan or a maximum of 10 million yuan in project funding will be provided... Ten million yuan will support talent innovation and entrepreneurship, and Loudi Economic Development Zone will "gather talents from all over the world" to build the "strongest brain" for enterprises to gather intelligence.

Innovative talents are adding bricks and tiles to high-quality development, and national honors are pouring in one after another: National High tech Industry Base, National New Industrialization Industry Demonstration Base, National First Batch of Industrial Transformation and Upgrading Demonstration Parks... The wave of innovation in Loudi Economic Development Zone is surging.

Going Global and Promoting the Vigorous Development of Industry University Research Alliance

In the context of innovation driven development, the demand for innovation in Hunan universities and research institutes is becoming increasingly strong. Loudi Economic Development Zone aims at the needs of both sides and deepens its layout for innovation.

Implementing the determination of "driving high-quality development with innovation" through practical actions - strengthening school enterprise cooperation, supporting enterprises to strengthen strategic cooperation with research institutes and universities such as Central South University, Hunan University, and Hunan University of Humanities and Sciences, promoting the integration of industry, academia, and research, and jointly building key laboratories, engineering and technology research centers, and academician (expert) workstations; Encourage and support enterprises to establish research and development institutions, establish research and development teams, and plan to build a number of engineering and technology research centers and key laboratories.

"The deep integration of industry, academia, and research is an inevitable choice to enhance the level of technological innovation, a fundamental way to break through the bottleneck of core technologies, and a key measure to promote high-quality development." Wu Yanbing, Director of the Industry Bureau of Loudi Economic Development Zone, introduced that the park has established an innovation cooperation network, and 57 enterprises have cooperated with universities to promote the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements.

Sharing scientific research infrastructure and instruments, schools, enterprises, and innovative entities can receive financial subsidies. This kind of advantage has already made more and more researchers in the Loudi Economic Development Zone taste the sweetness.

Currently, there are 2 national postdoctoral research workstations, 1 academician expert workstation, 1 national enterprise technology center, 7 provincial engineering technology research centers, 4 provincial engineering technology centers, and 9 provincial enterprise technology centers in the park... These innovative incubators have become one of the important "magic weapons" for promoting high-quality development in Loudi Economic Development Zone.

Xiao Xiongjie, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Loudi Economic Development Zone, said that he will continue to deeply cultivate the "material valley" industries such as steel new materials and construction machinery, support leading enterprises to lead the construction of technology innovation consortia, implement joint research and development around "blockchain" and "breakpoint", improve the innovation level of the entire industry chain, strongly support enterprises entering the park to carry out new product, new technology, and new process innovation, and promote high-quality development of the park.

The seeds of innovation and entrepreneurship are constantly sowing, sprouting, and growing in the fertile land of Loudi Economic Development Zone, with 18000 employees in the high-tech industry and an estimated 104 high-tech enterprises this year.