The State Council has approved a plan submitted by the Jiangsu provincial government and the Ministry of Commerce of a pilot program in the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, an industrial cluster in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, to make the park more open and more innovative.

The State Council asked that the park draw on experiences from the country’s free trade zones and upgrade its industries and competitiveness.

According to the plan, the pilot program is expected to turn the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park into a world-class high-tech industrial cluster and enhance international cooperation.

Among other tasks the plan has set out, the park should bring in high-end industries, encourage companies to work on research and development and marketing, and attract multinational companies to locate their high-end factories inside the park.

Also, the plan encourages domestic companies to purchase advanced techniques and equipment, and encourages those who have their own patented technologies to join multinational companies to make their products.

In the meantime, the industrial park should invest more in information technology and make its industries smarter, and should encourage medium and small enterprises as well as research institutes and professionals returning from abroad to start up businesses and engage in innovation.

The park should focus on developing the biopharmaceutical industry, the application of nanotechnology and cloud computing and set a leading example in the country of boosting innovation through international cooperation.

The plan asks related authorities to continue to streamline administrative approval procedures concerning the development of the park and improve oversight of the park, in order to help make it grow at a faster pace.

It also asks the park to be developed in a way that is environmentally friendly and energy-efficient.