On February 28, at Haidian's first major conference of the new year, one sentence warmed hearts and stirred excitement: "We can proudly say, 'Haidian's people have strength!'"
Upon reflection, this statement is not a commendation nor a slogan—it is a fact. It is a truth forged by the daily perseverance of every Haidian resident striving upwards: the large model engineers constantly refining lines of code; the fresh newcomers in embodied AI algorithm development squeezing onto the morning subway; and the quantum technology entrepreneurs opening the door to next-generation computing for Haidian. This strength is the reality built by their relentless efforts.
Today, let's explore this topic—where Haidian's strength comes from, where it is headed, and where it converges.
二、I. Where Does the Strength Come From?
Some may ask: What makes Haidian so special?
Is it the two national laboratories, 92 state key laboratories, 37 universities, and 96 national-level research institutions? Is it the 692 academicians and 12,300 AI scholars? Is it the 478 specialized and sophisticated "Little Giant" enterprises?
All of these contribute. But more important than the numbers are the people behind them.
Take the engineers at Galbot in Haidian's Dinghao Building, Zhongguancun West Zone. They debug code repeatedly—teaching robots to "truly work." Months later, their Galbot robot appeared at the Spring Festival Gala, sharing the stage with famous actors. Over 100 "Galbot Smart Capsules" now illuminate landmarks in over 20 cities across China, from the Summer Palace to the Bund, infusing cutting-edge technology into everyday life. With round-the-clock effort, they've brought China's embodied intelligence from the laboratory into everyday life.
Or consider Chen Zhen, a serial entrepreneur on Zhichun Road, racing against time with his team: 21 seconds for feeding ingredients, 170 seconds for frying, and 26 seconds for output—in just over three minutes, a basket of fragrant French fries is ready. He once endured a loss of 6 million yuan due to defective chips and mortgaged his department in Beijing. From the acquisition of his previous venture, Quick Feel Tech, to his current company, EncoSmart, securing Beijing's first food business license for an embodied intelligent robot, he is now working tirelessly to bring robots into kitchens worldwide, day and night.
This is Haidian's strength—not the strength of its buildings, but of its people; not the strength of its numbers, but of its perseverance.
"Haidian's people have strength"—this truth is forged by these individuals, typed out on keyboards, written in code, and built through countless failures and the resolve to rise again each time.
II. Where Is the Strength Headed?
Now that we have this strength, where is it being directed?
"As the core district of the International Science and Technology Innovation Center, Haidian boasts the richest scientific and technological resources, the most vibrant innovation, and is where all kinds of top-tier scientific and technological achievements are most likely to emerge." The phrase "most likely" is not just an expectation, but a clear direction.
"Exploring a 'Haidian Path' towards high-quality development led by high-level technological self-reliance." This endeavor, more than anything, requires the powerful force of Haidian's people to turn every "impossible" into "possible for Haidian"
Haidian's strength is currently surging in three main directions:
First, towards areas where we are "bottlenecked" or restrained by others.
In integrated circuit design, the goal is to create a new benchmark for China's autonomous and controllable intelligent computing power. For high-end scientific instruments, the aim is to advance the domestic substitution of core components and complete machines. In industrial software, the push is for deep autonomy in the core software stacks. These are areas where others have constrained us for a long time. Haidian's people respond: "Then we'll do it ourselves." Haidian has unveiled its "1+X+1" modern industrial system: the pinnacle is artificial intelligence; the main body consists of "5+3" key industries—five strategic emerging industries plus three future-oriented industries; the foundation is the technology services industry. The core logic of this system is simple: we tackle whatever the nation needs; we position ourselves wherever the future demands.
Second, towards "from 0 to 1" breakthroughs.
The conference announced Haidian's "Five Parties, Six Forces" collaborative mechanism for promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. To convert the advantages of an independent innovation source into the strengths of an emerging industry cluster, Haidian is coordinating the integrated development of education, technology, and talent. It has explored and formed this mechanism, aligned with market and innovation principles and bearing Haidian's distinctive characteristics, to jointly remove bottlenecks in transforming scientific and technological achievements into new quality productive forces, thereby building a fast track for their commercialization. Between being a "source" and becoming a "cluster", lie countless breakthroughs "from 0 to 1". Someone in a Tsinghua University lab is researching next-generation AI chips; someone in a quantum institute building is tackling quantum computing problems. "One university/institute paired with one team, one project assigned one specialist"—this isn't just fancy words in documents; it will be the daily reality unfolding in Haidian.
Third, towards "improving people's livelihoods."
The conference released the implementation plan for building Haidian into the city with the most investment value in 2026, highlighting facts since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, construction started on 47,000 units of subsidized housing, with 35,000 units completed; all public primary and secondary schools have joined educational groups, adding 7,910 high-quality school places; the total number of parks has reached 144, with Haidian Park's "Monet's Garden" becoming a popular spot on the Internet. These figures point to the needs of real individuals: do recent college graduates have a place to live? Can young parents ensure their children get a good education? Do retired seniors have places to walk and relax?
The conference also mentioned that Haidian not only prepares "settlement benefit packages" for college graduates newly employed by tech companies in the district, but will also continue to adopt multiple measures to build an accelerator for young talent development.
Where is the strength headed? It heads towards where the people need it, where the nation needs it, and where the future demands it.
III. Where Does the Strength Converge?
The final agenda item of the conference was the release of the World-Leading Science Parks Cooperation Initiative. "Science and technology know no borders, innovation shapes our shared the future" was spoken for Haidian to hear, and also for the world to hear.
Today, Haidian is Beijing's Haidian, China's Haidian, and the world's Haidian. 265 listed companies, 54 unicorn enterprises, and nearly 10,000 national high-tech companies collectively form the innovation landscape of this vibrant land.
"Haidian's development is inseparable from the hard work of every entrepreneur, the dedication of every builder, and the support of every enterprise!" This saying was a tribute to everyone in the audience and a call to the many more "Haidian people" not present.
What does "Haidian's people have strength" truly mean? It is the day-in and day-out dedication of 692 academicians. It is the figure of 12,300 AI scholars burning the midnight oil. It is the perseverance of 478 specialized and sophisticated "Little Giant" enterprises, "grinding a sword for ten years." Strength is every young person receiving a "Haidian Youth Settlement Package," with light in their eyes and a path beneath their feet.
Strength is us, together. Strength is the ability to try again after failing, to rise again after falling. Strength is refusing to admit defeat, refusing to back down.
IV. Pioneer the Future Through Innovation
As the conference concluded, the spring breeze was already stirring.
The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period and the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. For Haidian, this represents a new starting point.
"Pioneer the Future Through Innovation"—this was not only the theme of the conference but also Haidian's commitment to what lies ahead.
"Pioneer the Future Through Innovation" means seeking answers from scientific and technological innovation and finding pathways through industrial innovation. It means venturing into uncharted territories and breaking through in the deep waters of challenge.
"Never rest on our laurels, never engage in pointless endeavors, and maintain our position as a 'frontrunner' with the mindset of a 'startup founder'."
This is the attitude of Haidian, and also the attitude of the people of Haidian.
From the "Zhongguancun Electronics Avenue" to the building of a world-leading science park, generations of Haidian people have blazed trails and persevered in their efforts. What changes is time; what remains unchanged is that spirit of "daring", that ethos of "striving", that courage to "forge ahead".
"Haidian's people have strength." Today, a new chapter awaits our writing.
Are you ready?
(Source: Haidian District Cyberspace Administration)
