Not long ago, the opening ceremony of the Zhengzhou Metaverse Industry Park was successfully held.
At the meeting, the Zhengzhou Metaverse Industry Alliance was officially established, committed to promoting the application of metaverse technology, creating an interconnected metaverse ecosystem, building a collaborative platform for the development of the Zhengzhou metaverse industry, promoting high-quality development of the Zhengzhou metaverse industry, and striving to build the Zhengzhou Metaverse Industry Park into a pioneer, leader, and demonstration area for the innovation and development of the metaverse industry in the central region.
In addition to Zhengzhou, many places have established metaverse industry alliances, organizations, committees, etc., to achieve resource sharing and collaborative development.
The Shanghai Zhangjiang Metaverse Innovation and Development Alliance was established, with high-quality members covering the fields of “government, industry, academia, research, and capital.”
On July 27th, at the 2022 Shanghai Metaverse Summit, the “Zhangjiang Metaverse Innovation and Development Alliance” was established.
At the summit, Peng Song, Executive Deputy Director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Committee and a member of the Standing Committee of the Pudong New Area, Zhang Ying, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Economic and Information Commission, Xia Yuzhong, Deputy Director of the Pudong New Area Science and Economy Commission, Qiu Wei, Director of the Software and Information Services Industry Department of the Shanghai Economic and Information Commission, Wang Dong, Director of the Shanghai Investment Promotion Center, and Yuan Tao, Party Committee Secretary and Chairman of the Zhangjiang Group, jointly witnessed the official establishment of the Zhangjiang Metaverse Innovation and Development Alliance.
The first batch of members of the Zhangjiang Metaverse Innovation and Development Alliance includes Baidu, Weizhi Technology, Liangfengtai, Yanshi Technology, Daguan Data, PPIO Edge Cloud, SAP, Accenture, Shanghai University of Science and Technology, and more than 20 other professional institutions and leading enterprises in various fields such as government, industry, academia, research, and capital. The alliance aims to integrate the entire industry’s resources to create a cooperative platform centered on promoting the development of the metaverse industry, which includes research and development, production, talent cultivation, innovative application, digital empowerment, and brand promotion.
It is understood that by 2025, the scale of Shanghai’s metaverse-related industries will reach 350 billion yuan, cultivating more than 10 innovative leading enterprises and chain leader enterprises with international competitiveness, and creating more than 100 specialized, refined, and innovative enterprises with core technologies, high energy level, and high growth.
2. China (Chongqing) Metaverse Industry Alliance – Initiated by the government and major domestic communication companies
On April 26, 2022, at the China Metaverse Industry Development Summit Forum, the China (Chongqing) Metaverse Industry Alliance was officially established. The alliance is guided by the Chongqing Municipal Big Data Application Development Administration and the People’s Government of Yubei District, Chongqing, and is jointly initiated by more than 60 units including the National Information Center, Tsinghua University Institute of Information Technology, Renmin University of China Law School, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Tencent, and Huawei.
The China (Chongqing) Metaverse Industry Alliance aims to promote the application and implementation of metaverse technology, facilitate the popularization and scaling of the metaverse, create an interconnected and interlinked metaverse ecological space, form a development orientation of “strengthening the virtual to enhance the real” in the metaverse, and empower the transformation and upgrading of industries.
Next, the alliance will focus on researching smart technologies such as VR, AR, MR, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things. It will promote the construction of the metaverse industry ecosystem, innovative applications, standard formulation, and policy support. The alliance aims to create a comprehensive service platform that gathers resources from government, industry, academia, research, and finance, to accelerate the integration and application of metaverse technology in various fields and promote high-quality development of the metaverse industry.
Guangzhou Metaverse Innovation Alliance – The First Shot in Guangzhou’s “Metaverse Track”
On March 25, 2022, under the guidance of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Guangzhou Metaverse Industry Alliance was established. The alliance members include technology and entertainment companies such as 37 Interactive Entertainment, NetEase ZhiQi Technology, Guangzhou Chenjing Technology, CloudWalk Technology, iFlytek, and Guangzhou Automobile Group.
After its establishment, the alliance will rely on the industrial development foundation of Nansha, accelerate the integration of the innovation chain with the industrial chain, capital chain, and policy chain, build a bridge and link for the development of the metaverse industry, and construct a platform for the development of the Guangzhou metaverse.
At the same time, representatives from multiple initiating organizations have jointly launched the Guangzhou Metaverse Innovation Alliance Initiative, advocating for the industry to focus on serving the real economy, resolutely resisting the use of the metaverse hotspot concept for capital speculation, avoiding the formation of market bubbles, and accelerating the implementation of industrial metaverse, commercial metaverse, financial metaverse, educational metaverse, cultural metaverse, and great health metaverse applications. This will promote the development of the metaverse innovation industry and enhance the happiness level of the people’s lives in Guangzhou.
4. Guangzhou Greater Bay Area Metaverse Industry Alliance – A non-profit joint entity composed of leading companies in the metaverse industry.
The Guangzhou Greater Bay Area Metaverse Industry Alliance is led by the Guangzhou Huangpu Metaverse Research Institute, supported by governments at all levels in Guangdong Province, and based on the strategic construction framework of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It is a non-profit joint entity composed of leading enterprises in the metaverse industry, including Luxshare Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., Tencent Healthcare (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Zhidu Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Nalitu Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area National Nanotech Innovation Research Institute, and Guangzhou Huangpu Zimi Laboratory.
The alliance will further promote the implementation of industrial deployments related to “Internet + Advanced Manufacturing,” attracting cutting-edge talent and enterprises in the metaverse industry from both domestic and international markets to jointly build a metaverse industry ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area.
5. Xiamen Metaverse Industry Alliance – From Fragmentation to Systematization
On May 31, 2022, the Xiamen Metaverse Industry Alliance was established, jointly initiated by Migo Animation Co., Ltd., Xiamen Information Group, and 13 other organizations. Migo Animation was elected as the chairman unit. The alliance has attracted more than 50 relevant organizations, including key enterprises, universities, research institutions, and financial institutions. Its purpose is to leverage the advantages of multiple parties, promote the collaboration of “government, industry, academia, research, and finance,” and jointly drive the development of the Xiamen metaverse industry.
The establishment of the alliance is a concrete measure to implement the “Xiamen Metaverse Industry Development Three-Year Action Plan (2022-2024)” and also marks the transition of Xiamen’s development in the metaverse industry from fragmentation to systematization.
6. Hangzhou International Chamber of Commerce Metaverse Special Committee – Conducting Metaverse Exchanges between Hangzhou and Countries around the World
On June 8, 2022, the Hangzhou International Chamber of Commerce’s Metaverse Special Committee was officially established. Hu Wei, Deputy Mayor of Hangzhou City, Zhang Shankun, Vice President of Zhejiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade (International Chamber of Commerce), and Zhang Hongbin, President of Hangzhou Council for the Promotion of International Trade (International Chamber of Commerce), attended the event and delivered speeches respectively. Shen Xiaoting, Party member of the Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade (International Chamber of Commerce), Deputy Director-General, and Vice President of the Hangzhou International Chamber of Commerce, presided over the establishment ceremony.
Leaders of the Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade (International Chamber of Commerce), Zhao Xinghao, Xu Shui Lan, and He Xianrong, as well as Yu Rong Sheng, Deputy District Chief of Gongshu District, Li Jun, Deputy Director of Qiantang District Management Committee, Wang Wen Sheng, General Manager of China Mobile Hangzhou Branch, and relevant responsible persons from Zhejiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Hangzhou City Economic and Information Bureau, Hangzhou City Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau, and Hangzhou City Data Resources Bureau participated in the meeting.
The special committee is an internal institution of Hangzhou International Chamber of Commerce, which will integrate the strength of the government, enterprises, social organizations, expert teams, and other parties. It aims to weave a dense network of services for metaverse companies, accelerate the innovative application of metaverse technology, management, and business models in Hangzhou, cultivate new business forms and models, carry out cooperation and exchange activities between Hangzhou and countries around the world in the field of metaverse, and help Hangzhou seize the competitive initiative in the new track of the future metaverse industry.
The conference elected China Mobile Communications Group Zhejiang Co., Ltd. Hangzhou Branch as the Executive Chairman Unit for 2022, and Hangzhou Shu Kong Technology Co., Ltd. as the Rotating Chairman Unit for 2022. NetEase, Huawei, SenseTime, Hangzhou Wan Shi Li, Hong Kong Panshi, Hangzhou Time Stamp Information Technology, Hangzhou Ling Ban Technology, Hangzhou Qiu Suo Culture, and Hangzhou Yi Yu Qian Xiang Technology serve as Chairman Units. More than 30 enterprises, including Beijing May 1st Digital Twin Technology, Hangzhou Harlod Technology, and others, serve as Committee Units.
7. Zhejiang Qiantang’s Two Major Platforms Innovate and Establish – Combining Both Soft and Hard Strengths to Empower the Metaverse
On May 21, 2022, during the opening ceremony of Hangzhou Qiantang Metaverse New World, two major innovation platforms, the Qiantang District Metaverse Collaborative Innovation Laboratory and the Qiantang District Metaverse Industry-Academia-Research Alliance, were established. Several metaverse projects and financial cooperation projects signed contracts to settle in.
Qiantang District is focusing on the development of the metaverse industry with a focus on the key phrase “combining both hardware and software.” The “hardware” refers to the main industry chain of core hardware manufacturing, based on the research and development and manufacturing of VR/AR optical components in this specific field. The “software” refers to using the “metaverse” as a catalyst to enrich the ecosystem of application software, with a focus on the four major sub-directions of gaming, film and television, social interaction, and manufacturing assistance.
8. Wuhan Metaverse Research Institute – The first Metaverse Research Institute in the country
On June 29, 2022, the Wuhan Metaverse Research Institute was established in the Dongxihu District of Wuhan City.
The Wuhan Metaverse Research Institute is the first of its kind in China. The institute mainly engages in research on the economy, social governance, ethics, law, industry, and technology of the metaverse. It assists in formulating China’s metaverse development strategy and policy standards, organizes the drafting of metaverse-related group standards, industry standards, national standards, and international standards, writes technical monographs on the metaverse, and drafts white papers in various fields of the metaverse.
The Wuhan Metaverse Research Institute was co-invested and established by One Belt One Road Limited Liability Company and Wuhan Linkonggang Investment Group Co., Ltd., under the initiative of Dr. Gong Caichun, the director of the Metaverse Research Institute of the “One Belt One Road Limited Liability Company International Cultural Education Center” and the editor-in-chief of the “China Metaverse White Paper”.
9. Chengdu Big Data Association Metaverse Special Committee – “From Virtual to Real”, Empowering the Digital Economy
On July 8, 2022, the Metaverse Professional Committee of Chengdu Big Data Association was established. The Metaverse Committee was initiated by nine organizations, including Hippo Culture, Universe Dream Culture, Wanda Cinemas, China Communication Huaxia, Huaxing Canaan, Migu Music, Wuhou Shrine Museum, Jinsha Site Museum, and Chengdu Museum.
The Chengdu Big Data Association will leverage the Metaverse Professional Committee to truly implement “transforming the virtual into the real” and empower the digital economy industry.
The association will promote the deep integration of the real economy with the digital economy, with the goals of “fully implementing the metaverse industry in Chengdu” and “fully realizing metaverse scenarios in Chengdu”. It will carry out a series of activities such as the China Metaverse Summit Forum, competitions, and fund construction, to effectively advance and guide the innovation of the Chengdu metaverse system and the healthy and orderly development of the industry.
Ningbo has established its first metaverse innovation consortium, which exists in the form of a “virtual town”.
On May 12, 2022, Ningbo’s first metaverse field collaboration platform – “Qingmei · Zhen” Network Alliance (Metaverse Innovation Alliance) was established in Ningbo National University Science Park.
The alliance exists in the form of a “virtual town”, which is a combination of virtual and reality, a gathering space for online and offline network professionals, and also a linking space for the metaverse industry. The “Qingmei · Zhen” Network Alliance mainly relies on the Yongjiang Science and Innovation Zone, gathering industrial and intellectual resources in the field of networks and metaverse, to build a collaborative platform for the development of the metaverse industry in the future.
11. Anhui Metaverse Industry Ecological Alliance – Convened by a private investment and financial organization
The Anhui Metaverse Industry Ecological Alliance is convened by the Anhui Investment Club and jointly initiated by Anhui Metaverse enterprises. It gathers industries such as VR/AR, gaming, artificial intelligence, virtual humans, NFTs, digital twins, and smart cities. The alliance aims to explore the development path of Anhui Metaverse enterprises, provide a platform for technical exchange, and cultivate the Anhui Metaverse industry ecosystem.
Anhui Investment Club is a non-governmental investment and financial organization in Anhui, serving as a platform for investment and financial exchanges in Anhui, as well as a public welfare platform for investment and financing docking in the region. It is a non-profit organization that brings together more than 600 investment and financial institutions within the province and over 3,000 from outside the province.
12. Wuxi Metaverse Innovation Alliance Established – Jointly Initiated by the Film Industry, Telecommunications, and Newspaper Industries
On January 11, 2022, at the “Open Up” the Future conference, the Wuxi Metaverse Innovation Alliance was established.
The Wuxi Metaverse Innovation Alliance was jointly initiated by several core organizations, including Wuxi Baotong Technology Co., Ltd., Wuxi Digital Film Industry Co., Ltd., China Mobile Communications Group Jiangsu Co., Ltd. Wuxi Branch, Skyline Technology Co., Ltd., Wuxi Software Industry Development Co., Ltd., and Wuxi Daily Newspaper Group, under the guidance of the Municipal Committee’s Cyberspace Affairs Office and the Municipal Industry and Information Bureau.
The alliance will focus on smart technologies such as the Internet of Things, 5G, VR/AR, artificial intelligence, blockchain, semiconductors, and cloud computing, to build an ecological development, innovative application, and standard/policy research platform for cooperation and exchange in industry, academia, and research.
13. Liaoning Metaverse Industry Alliance – Initiated by Colleges and Universities
On June 15, 2022, at the Shenyang Metaverse Conference, the Liaoning Metaverse Industry Alliance was jointly initiated by the Shenyang Metaverse Research Center, multiple enterprises, and universities in Liaoning. The alliance aims to integrate resources from the industrial chain, promote cooperation and communication among meta-universe industry enterprises, and build a platform for exchange and display of the meta-universe industry.
The Liaoning Metaverse Industry Alliance focuses on the innovation of industry-specific metaverse applications and has established the following alliance goals: guidance and communication, park services, exchange and integration, promotion and publicity, and mining applications.
14. Dalian Metaverse Industry Innovation Alliance – Fully Committing to the New Track of the Metaverse Industry
On June 28, 2022, the Dalian High-tech Zone held a themed event titled “Metaverse: A New Journey”. During the event, an alliance for the metaverse industry was established. It was proposed to promote the aggregation and innovative development of industries related to the metaverse, providing a new engine for the vigorous development of Dalian’s digital economy.
At the event, Sun Longye, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of the High-tech Zone, introduced the ideas for promoting the development of the metaverse industry in Dalian High-tech Zone. The High-tech Zone announced the establishment of the Dalian Institute of Artificial Intelligence at Dalian University of Technology’s Metaverse Industry Technology Center, the formation of the Dalian Metaverse Industry Innovation Alliance, the launch of the Metaverse Building, and the establishment of innovative and developmental carriers for the development of the metaverse industry.
Luozhongxuan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Dalian University of Technology, Xue Yanxiang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of Dalian High-tech Zone, Jiang Bin, Party Secretary and Director of the Dalian City Industry and Information Bureau, Sun Longye, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Dalian High-tech Zone, Zhao Hongzhi, a member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Dalian City Science and Technology Bureau, Hu Jinghui, Deputy General Manager of China Supply and Marketing Assets Co., Ltd., Liu Jun, President of the Liaoning Software Industry Association, and Zheng Shiyu, President of the Dalian Software Industry Association attended the event.
The Dalian High-tech Zone Metaverse Industry Innovation Alliance is composed of enterprises in the field of digitalization, including culture and tourism, education, intelligent manufacturing, digital image, etc. At present, there are 51 member units.
The establishment of metaverse industry alliances, associations, and professional committees in various regions is a microcosm of their layout in the metaverse industry. We can see that local party committees, industrial and information technology departments, big data management bureaus, industrial development zones, and other departments are actively participating and taking the initiative, which are the core forces in promoting the development of the local metaverse industry, thereby achieving a cluster of core industrial chains driven by leading companies.
Integrating resources, building platforms, and promoting exchanges to empower the development of the local digital economy, and advancing the application and implementation of the metaverse in industries such as industry, commerce, finance, education, culture and tourism, and health, the path to “transforming the virtual into the real” in the development of the metaverse industry has become a consensus among various regions in establishing industry alliances.
