Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, recently announced plans to promote innovation in science and technology during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

According to the plans, by 2025, Xi'an should be home to an internationally competitive Silk Road Science and Technology Innovation Center and enter the ranks of the world's most innovative cities.

In terms of the construction of the Qinchuangyuan innovation-driven platform, Xi'an will improve its whole-chain scientific and technological achievement transformation system.

Xi'an has many innovation initiatives in the works. It launched the construction of the Qinchuangyuan innovation-driven platform in 2021. [Photo/Xi'an municipal government's WeChat public account]

By 2025, there should be 90 national maker spaces and 30 national technology business incubators in the city, as well as two national technology innovation centers and manufacturing innovation centers and 100 new-type R&D institutions above the municipal level.

The city will also establish a high-tech enterprise cultivation library to attract gazelle enterprises, unicorn enterprises and new business projects to Xi'an. By 2025, there will be 10,000 national high-tech enterprises in Xi'an, as well as 12,000 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises.

Meanwhile, Xi'an will encourage a number of science and technology enterprises to bring in foreign experts and overseas returnees and offer them support in terms of children's schooling, housing, medical insurance, and personal tax incentives.