Chen Zhilie gives a speech at a large gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone on Oct 14. [Photo/CCTV]
Chen Zhilie, chairman of the board of EVOC Intelligent Technology and a Wuxi native, was invited to give a speech at a large gathering on Oct 14 celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province.
Shenzhen's success has been inextricably linked with advances in science, technology and innovation resulting from reform and opening-up and the city's adoption of a market-oriented economy, officials and entrepreneurs said at the event.
Chen said he was drawn to Shenzhen in 1992 by the promise of entrepreneurial opportunities and favorable policies.
A year later, he and four friends founded EVOC Intelligent Technology, one of China's leading companies dedicated to creating specialized computers for industrial applications, automation, aerospace and defense.
Guests greet each other at a gathering on Wednesday celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in Guangdong province. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]
"One must follow the trends of the time in order to find true value," said Chen. "For a high-tech private company to succeed in this world, innovation is the only way."
Innovation is deeply embedded in Shenzhen's DNA thanks to 40 years of reform and opening-up, Chen added.
The city is an "ideal place to focus on research and innovation" because it is highly market-oriented and has a culture of encouraging trial and error.
"We're not satisfied with just being the industry leader in China. We want to be the number one company for specialized computers in the world," he said, adding that this will require the company to keep growing and contribute to the nation's development.
Over the past 40 years, many entrepreneurs like Chen who start businesses in Shenzhen have come from Wuxi. Statistics show that over 220 enterprises in Shenzhen were started by entrepreneurs from Wuxi.
Chen said that as the birthplace of China's modern industry and commerce, Wuxi is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs.
