On September 23, the 2026 China International Digital Economy Expo opened in Shijiazhuang. The Hebei Provincial Data and Government Services Bureau signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with Sugon, and the Hebei Photosynthesis Organization Industrial Ecosystem Innovation Center was officially launched.

Against the backdrop of Hebei's comprehensive computing power index ranking first nationwide for two consecutive years, the establishment of this provincial-level ecosystem hub is regarded by industry observers as a critical step for Hebei's computing power advantage to move from "scale leadership" toward "value realization."

The Other Side of the Computing Power "Champion"

Hebei's computing power foundation is substantial enough. According to the "2026 Comprehensive Computing Power Panoramic Analysis" released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, as of June 2026, the province's intelligent computing power scale reached 556.1 EFLOPS, with 2.504 million standard racks in use, both ranking first nationwide.

Langfang and Zhangjiakou ranked among the top two cities nationwide in computing power sub-index for two consecutive years, and 12 of the nation's top 15 third-party computing center service providers have established operations in Hebei.

However, computing power scale does not directly equal computing power value. In 2025, Hebei's big data industry revenue was 34.76 billion yuan, ranking tenth nationwide.

Academician Wu Hequan of the Chinese Academy of Engineering noted in an interview that every 1 yuan invested in computing power can drive 3 to 4 yuan of GDP growth, but Hebei's existing computing centers are mainly operated through internet companies' self-built self-use facilities and rack hosting operations, with most users located outside the province, and local intelligent agent research and application relatively lagging behind.

The "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Blue Book (2026)" also pointed out that although Zhangjiakou, Langfang and other areas in Hebei have formed large-scale computing clusters, local industrial digitalization demand is limited, leaving computing resources in a relatively idle state.

In August this year, Hebei Province issued the "Hebei Province 'AI Plus Manufacturing' Special Action Implementation Plan," proposing to fully leverage advantages in computing power scale, industrial foundation, and application scenarios to carry out innovative scenario applications in 15 industries including steel, chemicals, automobile manufacturing, and new energy.

The focus of competition in the next phase is not about who has more racks, but whether large-scale computing power can be transformed into reusable products, solutions, and industry applications.

Center Positioning: Making Domestic Computing Power "Accessible and Usable"

The core function of the Hebei Photosynthesis Organization Industrial Ecosystem Innovation Center is to absorb national computing ecosystem resources and precisely match Hebei's local industrial needs.

Zeng Chao, Deputy Secretary-General of the Photosynthesis Organization, said in an interview at the expo that domestic computing power entering industry systems requires three stages: compatibility adaptation, performance optimization, and application verification.

"Operating systems, databases, middleware, AI frameworks, and business software come from different vendors. Any compatibility issue in any link will affect system deployment and operation," Zeng Chao explained. The center can provide local testing environments, organize chips, complete machines, software, integrators, and industry users to verify together, adjust solutions based on real business loads, and combine individually certified products into deliverable industry solutions.

For legacy system migration, the center can also help assess the scope of modifications, reducing time spent on repeated testing and multi-party communication. After projects are put into operation, the center will continue to collect usage data and drive partners to optimize products and services.

This means the center is not undertaking technical research in a single link, but rather serving as an engineering organizer for domestic computing power's transition from "usable" to "well-usable." For the many small and medium-sized enterprises in Hebei that have digitalization needs but lack technical judgment capabilities, this role is particularly valuable.

From Adaptation to Incubation: A Complete Industrial Conversion Chain

Around this positioning, the center will implement a series of service capabilities covering the entire enterprise lifecycle.

At the technical adaptation level, the center will build a domestic computing power technology adaptation center, creating lightweight, easily deployable domestic solutions to lower the threshold for local enterprises' technology adaptation and deployment.

At the R&D verification level, the center will promote the construction of joint laboratories and pilot testing bases to support AI-related scientific research innovation and technology implementation.

At the startup incubation level, the OPC Co-creation Space focuses on vertical tracks such as AI applications, intelligent manufacturing, and smart healthcare, with emphasis on attracting small and medium-sized tech enterprises and young entrepreneurial teams deeply engaged in vertical fields. Entering projects complete full-process domestic computing power adaptation at the startup stage, incorporating them into an autonomous and controllable technology system from the source.

The co-creation space will provide free computing power trials, on-site technical expert guidance, investment and financing connections, and one-stop policy application services to comprehensively reduce entrepreneurial costs.

At the talent cultivation level, the center will deepen industry-education integration, jointly develop courses and practical training with universities, and cultivate computing power and AI professionals that meet industrial development needs.

When discussing enterprise services, Zeng Chao stated that enterprises with computing power construction, software migration, or AI application needs can first have the center analyze business scenarios and technical conditions, then match with chip, complete machine, operating system, database, industry software, and integration service partners from Photosynthesis Organization members.

"For specific solutions, the center can provide software and hardware compatibility testing, performance optimization, joint verification, and adaptation certification, helping enterprises identify problems before investing in construction. After projects enter the implementation phase, the center will also organize supply-demand matching, achievement showcases, technical training, and follow-up services." He also mentioned that for elastic computing power needs, collaboration with platforms such as the supercomputing internet can be explored based on project circumstances, allowing computing resources to better match research and industry tasks.

Enterprises thereby gain a window for long-term local service, find suitable products and technical teams faster, and shorten the time required for product screening, verification, and deployment.

A "Permanent Interface" in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development

If the perspective is elevated to the level of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, the positioning of the Hebei Photosynthesis Organization Industrial Ecosystem Innovation Center becomes clearer.

Beijing concentrates AI research and application demands, but data center peak load rates are approaching saturation, and computing resources are scarce. Hebei possesses computing resources and industrial scenarios, yet has long faced the conversion dilemma of "having computing power but no industry."

Hebei has innovatively formed a collaborative model of "Beijing provides demand, Hebei supplies computing power," with the nation's first integrated provincial computing power monitoring and scheduling platform now in operation. The "Co-building Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei 'Galaxy Computing Corridor' Computing Power Coordinated Development Cooperation Agreement" recently signed by the three regions further proposes achieving full-chain coordination across chips, storage, communications, complete machines, liquid cooling, data centers, computing power scheduling, large models, and application scenarios.

However, coordination cannot rely solely on framework agreements and list publications. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei intelligent computing supply-demand list has been published, covering industries including steel, equipment manufacturing, auto parts, pharmaceuticals, government affairs, and cultural creativity, but the list is a phased achievement, and supply-demand matching requires continuous organized advancement.

The value of the Hebei Photosynthesis Organization Industrial Ecosystem Innovation Center lies precisely in providing a permanent organizational vehicle—institutionalizing and normalizing the conversion channel between national computing ecosystem resources and Hebei's industrial needs.

When explaining why the Photosynthesis Organization chose Hebei, Zeng Chao stated that Hebei has industries such as steel, equipment manufacturing, and biomedicine, and government digitalization and AI applications are also continuously advancing. These fields have different requirements for computing power scale, software environments, and industry solutions, providing rich scenarios for domestic computing power applications.

"Hebei is also positioned importantly in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, with close connections to research institutions, universities, and tech enterprises in Beijing and Tianjin, able to absorb technology, talent, and industrial resources. The Photosynthesis Organization hopes to use the center as a long-term operational vehicle to bring the products, solutions, and service capabilities of more than 6,000 member units into Hebei, while also promoting the experience formed in Hebei to broader industrial scenarios across Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei."

In this sense, the realization phase of Hebei's computing power advantage tests not construction speed, but organizational capability. The launch of the Photosynthesis Organization Industrial Ecosystem Innovation Center marks Hebei's transition from "building computing power" to a systematic advancement phase of "using computing power." Whether the scale advantage of 556.1 EFLOPS can be transformed into reusable industry products and promotable solutions will also determine Hebei's performance in regional competition in the digital economy.