The official launch ceremony of the Nansha (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao) data service pilot zone was held during the national cybersecurity week on September 9.

To accelerate the development of the data pilot zone, a policy package with substantial subsidies aimed at fostering the clustering development of cybersecurity and data service industries was announced by the Nansha district on September 10.

According to the development plan of the data pilot zone, the initial implementation area will focus on the Nansha Free Trade Zone, with plans to gradually expand to the entire Nansha District.

According to the policy, Nansha will comprehensively support enterprises in various stages of development, including their establishment, qualification enhancement, and talent cultivation. Additionally, the district will stimulate innovation through competitions, create demonstration projects, and lead the direction of industrial innovation. Cross-border flow and trading of data will be promoted to enhance international cooperation.

In terms of incentives, Nansha District is offering substantial rewards to boost the development of cybersecurity and data services. Companies newly established in Nansha and reaching a certain scale in cybersecurity or data services will receive a reward ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 yuan.

Furthermore, teams from domestic and international cybersecurity competitions are invited to start their businesses in Nansha, with a reward of 100,000 yuan offered to each.

Moreover, enterprises are encouraged to enhance their qualifications, with a 200,000 yuan reward for those first obtaining CNAS accreditation and a 50,000 yuan reward for those successfully passing the re-evaluation.

Enterprises that achieve outstanding rankings in domestic and international cybersecurity competitions will be awarded a maximum of 1 million yuan as a reward.

Nansha also encourages enterprises to strengthen digital technology innovation and create application demonstration scenarios for cybersecurity and data services, offering subsidies of up to 3 million yuan. If a project is recognized as a national cybersecurity demonstration project, it can receive an additional reward of 500,000 yuan. In the field of cross-border data flow and transactions, a reward of up to 1 million yuan will be offered, aimed at promoting the orderly flow and trading of data to maximize its value.

Additionally, Nansha supports telecommunication operators in establishing dedicated data cross-border transmission channels directly connecting Hong Kong and Macao, facilitating the efficient circulation of data resources within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The data pilot zone, initially proposed in the "Overall Plan for Promoting Comprehensive Cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao by Further Deepening Opening-up in Nansha District of Guangzhou" in 2022, aims to facilitate cross-border data flows, promote the convergence of data regulations across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, innovate data service models, and foster an internationalized data service industry cluster.

It is worth mentioning that the added value of Nansha's core digital economy industries increased from 5.258 billion yuan to 14.499 billion yuan from 2019 to 2023.