High-Tech BMW ECHO is the latest
invention from the Munich- based automaker. ECHO is based on the BMW 5 Series Longwheel base and it is an electric car
concept that has been just unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show. The car is
being exclusively built “in China, by China and for China”, and according to
Autocar, BMW had entered into the co-operation with the government-backed university as a one-off test bed to gauge how
advanced Chinese electric car technology is.
Horatiu B
Telstra Hong Kong mobile subsidiary CSL announced it had launched a 4G wireless network that already covers over 50 per cent of Hong Kong’s 6.9 million population. The new service uses technology supplied by ZTE,
China’s second-biggest maker of phone-equipment after Huawei. Besides the 4G LTE service, it offers another technology called DC-HSPA+ (dual-channel high-speed packet access), which takes over in spots where LTE is not available.
BioPartnering China, a face-to-face event that aims to bring the leaders of the Chinese life science industry to network with decision-makers from around the world. China is also a world-leader in high-tech
nanotechnology. The Chinese Academy of Sciences proudly announced in November 2010 that China had built the world’s fastest supercomputer. The supercomputer, named the Tianhe 1 (English translation: “Milky Way Number 1”), is ranked first on the list of the world’s fastest 500 computers at the independent website
www.Top500.org (November, 2010). Institutional linkages are also on the increase. The
Australian and Chinese governments have recently announced they will jointly fund a new state-of-the- art nanotechnology laboratory in China named The Australia–China Joint Laboratory on Nanoscience. The centre is expected to focus on the better diagnosis and treatment of cancer and more effective purification of drinkable and waste waters. The third major high-tech sub-sector, optoelectrics, is
undergoing rapid development. China’s Central Govern- ment has set up six industrial bases for optoelectronic activities: Beijing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Shijiazhuang, Shen- zhen and Changchun. In line with the China Railways expe- rience, domestic infrastructure projects are driving demand for optics. China’s optoelectrics sector is also benefit- ing from local firms such as Huawei gaining global market share and the world’s major suppliers of optical compo- nents establishing manufacturing bases in China. China’s optoelectrics strength presents opportunities
for Australian businesses, as has already been proven with telecommunications giant Telstra. In November 2010,
REGIONAL CONSIDERATIONS The second half of the last decade has seen a shift westward for future growth in China’s high-tech industries. Wage pressure on the comparatively more developed east coast has meant many companies have moved their production facilities inland. Chengdu, the capital of south west China’s Sichuan
province, received a boost to the local economy in 2005, when Intel announced an enormous IC assembly plant would be developed in the city. In 2009, Intel shut down its IC assembly plants in Shanghai and shifted operations to the new assembly plant in Chengdu. Australian businesses looking to establish high-tech
operations in and linkages with China should be aware of this inland shift and the potential costs and benefits in choosing a head office or base of operations away from the traditional east coast hubs of Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Looking further afield, Laurie Smith, Austrade Regional
Director North East Asia, warns that firms should consider their needs and priorities and how they match with different countries in the region. He warns that China is a little easier to access than other markets but sustaining market position can be difficult.
WIDESPREAD ADOPTION China’s high-tech influence is dominant in the consumer products and services many Australians enjoy today. From the latest e-readers and mobile phones to the technologies that will help underpin the future of the internet, the practical applications of Chinese high-tech innovations are widespread. Needless to say, Australian businesses must pay attention and take advantage.
Stefan Manidis Australia China: BEYOND TOMORROW 173
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