This photo shows China's high-energy supercapacitor tram at CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co Ltd in Changsha, Hunan province, on Aug 22, 2020. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Changsha's technology plus creativity plan will not only change people's lifestyles, but also improve the quality of life of its citizens, say local officials.

For a long time, Changsha has incorporated innovation and creativity into its urban sustainable development to promote the transformation and upgrading of its industrial structure. Following years of construction, the smart economy is in the ascendency.

Liu Mingli, vice-mayor of Changsha, said the city is transforming and upgrading its industries to promote the in-depth integration of information technology and industrialization.

We are accelerating the intelligent transformation of traditional companies, with 'intelligent equipment, intelligent cars, intelligent terminals, and power chips' as the main direction, to promote the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry.

Liu Mingli, Vice-mayor of Changsha

It plays an important role in improving people's happiness and promoting high-quality and sustainable urban development, Liu said.

"We are accelerating the intelligent transformation of traditional companies, with 'intelligent equipment, intelligent cars, intelligent terminals, and power chips' as the main direction, to promote the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry."

ALSO READ: Changsha embraces a creative approach to development

Changsha has 22 industrial chains in emerging industries with a total investment of 87.5 billion yuan (US$12.80 billion). This hub of intelligent industrial manufacturing has been approved as one of the first national strategic emerging industry clusters.

During an internet forum held in the city's Yuelu district on Sept 8, Changsha's digital economy, intelligent connected cars and other hot topics once again attracted worldwide attention.

Ma Wei, co-founder and CEO of Changsha Intelligent Driving Research Institute, said at the forum that Changsha has achieved the country's largest intelligent network application through three years of practice.

To date, 3,400 intelligent connected vehicles have been launched. Ma noted that, in the future, Changsha will build an "Urban Super Brain "based on intelligent network technology to provide strong support for a smart city.

"We are building 'eight application scenarios', including intelligent connected vehicles, industrial internet, smart cities, smart healthcare, mobile payment, a sharing economy, blockchain and a creative economy," said Liu.

Changsha has also built a smart education cloud platform, launched more than 4,000 online classrooms during the pandemic, and provided online classroom teaching to 1.08 million primary and secondary school students.

China's artificial intelligence pioneer iFlytek launched a personalized learning system that uses AI to help teachers correct homework test papers.

Tan Chang, executive dean of the Big Data Research Institute of iFlytek, said: "From this learning system, we can discover the shortcomings of each student, and provide tailored learning programs for students to improve efficiency." At present, this personalized learning system has covered more than 50 schools in Changsha.

READ MORE: Characteristic towns attracting tourism, greater development

In Changsha Kefu's industrial base for artificially intelligent wearable devices and smart equipment, the future of smart medical care is slowly unfolding through, for instance, smart hearing aids with a width of only 1 centimeter, which have functions such as simulated hearing and fall prompts and can be tailored to the patient.

Smart transport, education, and medical care are the epitome of Changsha's creative plus technology. Under the guidance of the Creative City concept, Changsha has become not just a model city, but one that is suitable for young Chinese and foreigners to live and work in.