On July 20th, traffic streams along Wuhan's Luoyu Road as a "Guangbutun · Jinli" sign stands tall amidst ongoing construction work. The red brick exterior walls of the old factory buildings are being carefully preserved, while the interiors are transformed into incubation bases and pilot testing platforms.

This October, the first phase of this science park, renovated from the old 722 Research Institute of CSSC facility in Guangbutun, is set to open. Guangbutun was once the largest IT trading center in Central China, producing famous entrepreneurs like Lei Jun and Lai Chunlin. However, impacted by the wave of e-commerce, this fertile ground for entrepreneurship fell into a period of silence. Faced with a limited business scope and outdated business models, Guangbutun urgently needed to forge its own path of transformation.

What was the solution? Seek space from existing stock, revitalize mechanisms for dynamism, and embark on a "second venture." In 2024, the Hongshan District organized an inspection team to conduct intensive research in cities like Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, and Hefei, where the concept of the "Alley Economy" came into view. This approach abandons the traditional path of "large parks, large factories, large land acquisition," returning to the city center to revitalize existing stock space.

Earlier last year, the Hongshan District launched the "Mountain and Water Star Light" plan, making the development of a university-centered innovation belt the primary task for science and technology innovation in the coming period. As a key carrier of this plan, the district is laying out four major innovation landmarks around universities: the Nanhu Silicon Alley, Luoyu Silicon Alley, Shishan Silicon Alley, and Qingling Silicon Alley. Earlier this year, the district also released the "Mountain and Water Silicon Alley" development action plan, systematically building an innovation pattern of "One Belt, Four Alleys, Multiple Blocks" from planning to practice.

While the introduced concept was promising, practical challenges lingered: how to define the industries, how to attract enterprises, and how to manage future operations? After multiple rounds of research and discussion during the study and education campaign for establishing and practicing a correct view of achievements, the consensus across the district became "doing the difficult but right thing." Support from the district's layout to the city's backing was interconnected.

In February of this year, Wuhan became one of the four pilot cities for the national "Action to Stimulate Industrial Innovation Vitality" campaign. The action was named the "Jinli Plan". As a key project under this city-level plan, Guangbutun · Jinli was included as a key project among the city's "Five Centers" initiatives. The Wuhan Municipal Development and Reform Commission has "tailored" support regarding policy introduction, industrial planning, space creation, and IP activation, collaborating deeply with the Hongshan District.

The Guangbutun · Jinli project has a total investment of 600 million yuan and will build an 88,000-square-meter space, with over 80% designated for R&D and offices. The project adopts a "Rent, Build, Operate, Return" model, where Hongshan Ketou leases the 30-year land use rights from the 722 Research Institute of CSSC and implements systematic renewal through "Preservation, Renovation, and Addition." The old factory buildings' red brick walls preserve the city's memory, while interiors are converted into professional incubation bases and shared pilot platforms. A vacant former Wushang Liangfan store is being transformed into a compound coworking factory, and a newly built Science and Innovation MALL will become a regional innovation landmark.

The first phase of the project focuses on creating four buildings, including a Maker Center, a Pilot Base, and the Science and Innovation MALL, planning a full-chain, stepped space of "Maker Space - Incubator - Pilot Platform - Accelerator." Focusing on fields like new materials and artificial intelligence, the project has already reserved over 50 high-quality startup projects. The Hongshan District is also brewing a special implementation plan for the Guangbutun · Jinli project to systematically layout the park's construction and operation.

"Previously, we mainly considered how to build it, but now we also need to think about how to use it well in the future," said a relevant official from the Hongshan District Economic and Technological Bureau. The plan is systematically designed from four dimensions: urban renewal, science and technology empowerment, industrial revitalization, and innovation ecosystem. On one hand, it implements the provincial and municipal requirements for "fully stimulating industrial innovation vitality" within the park; on the other, based on Hongshan's actual conditions, it uses the park as a pilot for reforms and explorations. "We hope to use Guangbutun · Jinli as a starting point to allow the Silicon Alley model to flourish across the entire district."

To provide tangible support for incoming startup teams, the Hongshan District has opened a path for implementing high-level incubation platforms driven by the government and built by state-owned platforms. In just half a year, the district has created multiple Star Innovation Spaces around universities, offering low-cost entrepreneurial spaces for teachers and students and recruiting early-stage startup projects nationwide. By 2027, the Hongshan District plans to build over 10 Star Innovation Spaces, covering an area of over 30,000 square meters, and expects to cultivate more than 300 projects. "Promoting the transformation of scientific research results is the main line for the future construction of the university-centered innovation belt," said the district official. "We hope to create a startup-friendly environment that tolerates failure and allows these early-stage companies to truly grow big."

From a "Science and Technology Street" to an "Innovation Source," the place where the 'Lei Jun generation' once started is now weaving the dreams of a new generation of makers.