Can China's first steel town teach the Sault about competitiveness?

One hundred and 26 years after China's monolithic steel industry was born at the intersection of the Han and Yangtze rivers, Sault Ste. Marie city officials are studying themed industrial parks in the provincial capital of Wuhan, seeking ways to improve our own competitiveness.

The Sault is looking into establishing a sustainable smart industrial and business park similar to those developed in Wuhan's massive Optics Valley complex.

Founded three decades ago where China's first Bessemer steel furnace was installed in 1893, Optics Valley has become a huge undertaking: home to 2,100 technology companies employing more than 100,000 people, as well as more than 40 top universities with 800,000 students.

It's the undisputed nucleus of China's photonics and optoelectronic industries, and the country's second-largest state-level biotechnology centre.

Here in the Sault, Ward 1 Coun. Sandra Hollingsworth acknowledges that's bigger than anything we'll ever have here, but she still feels Wuhan is worth studying for ideas.

"Of course, that is top-notch," Hollingsworth told last week's city council meeting. "I'm not suggesting we got that far but we can learn from what they've done."

Hollingsworth and wardmate Paul Christian persuaded council to consider the themed smart parks in Wuhan, and also recent initiatives in the Ontario cities of Brighton and Cambridge.

Brighton's 51-acre smart park has 34 serviced lots located 150 kilometres east of Toronto.

It promotes having three-phase electric power and secure ethernet connectivity with up to 10 Gbps plus dedicated internet.

Cambridge's new IP Park is under construction on 400 acres just off Highway 401 in the heart of Canada’s Technology Triangle: Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge.

An adjacent retail district offers 800,000 square feet of shopping and restaurant space, including more than 20 places for hungry tech workers to do lunch.

"There are a lot of communities right now in Canada that have smart industrial parks, business parks," Hollingsworth says.

"I just don't want to get further behind the eight-ball.... This seems to fit our plan as we move forward in building a future for this community."

The following is the full text of the Hollingsworth/Christian resolution passed last week by city council:

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Smart industrial and business park investment

Mover: Councillor S. Hollingsworth
Seconder: Councillor P. Christian

Whereas municipal infrastructure investments are critical to economic development and sustainability; and

Whereas a considerable number of municipalities, nationally and globally, are investing in “smart industrial and business parks,” to ensure the ready availability of serviced land, which includes high-speed broadband and public transit for employees for new businesses; and

Whereas having an established smart industrial and business park could attract millions in investment, providing economic growth and taxes to the community; and

Whereas the City of Brighton, Ontario has an existing smart industrial and business park, including an interactive website, which provides prospective businesses to quickly and easily identify if the community meets their needs; and

Whereas the City of Cambridge, Ontario is building a new 160-hectare smart industrial park for new advanced manufacturing and other technology-based companies which will offer supply chain opportunities, and e-commerce; and

Whereas not only will this benefit potential new businesses, but existing companies that require “smart services”; and

Whereas a city that has an existing competitive industrial and business park will more likely attract companies to locate to a city that is ready to receive new migration versus a city that is not prepared; and

Whereas the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation has already identified that investment-ready lands are critical to attract new opportunities; and

Whereas the City of Sault Ste. Marie lacks a smart industrial and business park which is a limiting factor in attracting entrepreneurs into the community;

Now therefore be it resolved that city staff, a councillor and Economic Development Corporation staff be requested to investigate and report to council by July 2019 regarding creation of a sustainable smart industrial and business park including: best practices, required financial investment, potential location(s) and required infrastructure.

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