Harbin plans to build a new college technological town inside its technology innovation zone, according to an announcement at the China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen, Fujian province.

The college technological town will focus on promoting research and development in the high-end equipment manufacturing, new materials, next-generation information technology, energy efficiency and environmental protection sectors.

The new 81.6-square-kilometer center is expected to play a key role in making the allocation of resources among universities, colleges and enterprises more efficient, and will help to integrate technological research and development into the wider economy.

It will also be a platform for coordinating research, industry and talent in high-tech sectors.

The technological town has set itself a target of creating 16 billion yuan ($2.4 billion) of new value in the new materials industry by 2020, and 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) of industrial output in the next-generation information technology industry.