The city of Wuxi launched a new platform that works as an overseas sci-tech think tank and offers information about overseas projects on Feb 22.

The mobile platform, namely "HOME cloud", was developed by the Wuxi Association for Science and Technology (WAST) and relevant service agencies. It includes five main functions, covering overseas projects, sci-tech information, public service, customized service and reservation service. Users can access the platform via the "Service Platform" of WAST's official WeChat account.

The China Association for Science and Technology initiated the HOME Program – Help Our Motherland through Elite Intellectual Resources from Overseas -?in 2004 to lure more sci-tech talents from foreign countries.

Wuxi has stepped up efforts to promote the HOME project since 2018, inviting scientific delegations from Portugal, Finland and Denmark and companies from EU countries to share advance communication.

The city also held a string of activities such as a HOME forum and conference on Sino-foreign sci-tech innovation to boost the brand influence of HOME around the world.

Wuxi has set up a HOME work station in Silicon Valley to attract elites and projects from the United States. The efforts also included organization of a HOME expert team to provide guidance as well as construction of an incubation base of HOME projects to help overseas talents and projects settle down in Wuxi.

Supported by WAST's 50-plus cooperation partners and work stations in Japan, the United States, France, Israel and Finland, the platform aims to be a hub for exchange of overseas projects.

It will also collect industrial research reports, overseas news and intelligence analysis to propel regional development. Furthermore, the platform plans to work with professional intellectual property agencies and the China Association for Science and Technology on a patent search library, which will house 100 million data entries and offer entrepreneurs and sci-tech workers a free inquiry service.