Jiangyin City kicked off the Xiake Bay Tech Town development program on May 19 with the agreement signed for eight projects including a new campus of Jiangnan University.

Named after Xu Xiake, a travel writer and geographer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the initiative covers a total area of about 80 square kilometers and boasts cultural legacies such as the geographer’s former residence and a good transport network including Wuxi Metro Line S1.

Xiake Bay Tech Town aims to develop into a hub with a research-centered university and ten centers for cross-industry and inter-disciplinary innovation, with an office space of one million square meters.

It also hopes to be the shared home of 10 top-notch talent, 100 industry-leading professionals, 50 high-growth enterprises and 100 innovative start-ups.

It aims to rise as a national powerhouse of industrial technology innovation and a key innovation hub in the Yangtze River Delta by 2025.