Regional hub sets sights on world-class innovation

The expanded framework is expected to move beyond the earlier one-way model of "Beijing research and Hebei application", she said. A more resilient innovation triangle will be fostered, in which Beijing focuses on fundamental research, Tianjin supports technology transfer through its advanced manufacturing base, and Hebei provides large-scale industrial application and validation scenarios, she said.

"This marks a new stage for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," Yi said.

Tianjin is positioning itself as a key node in this regional innovation system.

Ming Dong, vice-president of Tianjin University and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, told Tianjin Daily that the city will leverage its location and strong academic resources to concentrate innovation factors, accelerate technology commercialization, and advance the industrialization of emerging technologies such as brain-computer interfaces and biomanufacturing.

Beyond national policy signals, the push for deeper regional innovation cooperation is also reflected in a new round of top-level planning for the capital region.

China released the spatial coordination plan for the modern capital metropolitan area (2023-35) in early February, the country's first metropolitan-area development plan approved by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet.

Xia Linmao, executive vice-mayor of Beijing, said at a news conference on Feb 12 that the capital metropolitan area will further strengthen science and technology collaboration in its core regions.

Efforts will focus on developing new quality productive forces along the Beijing-Tianjin and Beijing-Xiong'an corridors. The Beijing-Tianjin-Xiong'an innovation triangle will also be cultivated to reinforce the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region's role as a key driver of high-quality development.

By 2030, the framework for an "innovation triangle" linking Beijing, Tianjin and Xiong'an is expected to take shape. By 2050, the Beijing-Tianjin-Xiong'an region is envisioned becoming an important area driving innovation-led economic growth and leading high-quality regional development, according to the plan.

The vision is already attracting high-tech enterprises seeking to scale up advanced manufacturing and technological applications.

"We are very optimistic about Xiong'an's strategic role in the capital metropolitan area," said Shi Yaozhong of LandSpace HongQing (Xiong'an) Space Technology Co.

"Our goal is to achieve breakthroughs in production models, technology integration and management systems, enabling satellite manufacturing to shift from traditional single-unit production to intelligent mass production," he said. "Xiong'an will become an important base supporting China's large-scale satellite constellation development."