The Harbin Big Data Center started operating in Harbin, capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, on Sept 6. The center is meant to boost government affairs data collection, reservation, sharing, opening and application.

The center replaced 14 older Harbin government information service departments, including the Harbin Government Computer Network Management Service Center and the Harbin Education Information Center, allowing data to flow more freely between different departments.

The center will be under the supervision of the Harbin Municipal Committee of Network Security and Informatization Office, Harbin Municipal Government Office, Harbin Industrial and Information Technology Bureau, and Harbin Business Environment Construction Supervision Bureau.

The center is expected to better serve locals by improving the efficiency and quality of government services and lay a foundation for the development of a smart city and the big data industry.