Boosting public creativity along the Silk Road is the goal of an innovation design center that opened today in Xi'an, the origination point of the ancient caravan route in northwest China's Shaanxi province. The center is in Beilin district, an area rich with talent. Its resources include 17 universities, 131 scientific research institutions and 10 national key laboratories.

"Based on its own advantages, Beilin district will establish a whole capital and industrial chain for the city's economic development," said Fang Guanghua, Xi'an's deputy mayor.

He said the innovation center will encourage public start-ups andcreate more jobs.

According to the government, the center has 43,000 square meters, with all necessary features, including meeting rooms, road show halls and convention facilities.

In addition to the high-level hardware, the center also provides consultancy services for governmental policies, financial rules and hiring platforms.

Companies, including Huawei, Tencent and Microsoft, have placed research and development operations at the center. Many local associations have established branches there.

"The center has made good use of the land and space, which is beneficial for the city," said an expert of national modern service projects, who declined to be named.

He said this mode will become a trend in the future that leads the social transformation in future.