In Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China, or OVC), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) is a pivotal hub for tech startups. Within a 2.5-kilometer radius, there are almost 40,000 tech-related companies, with about 300 new startups emerging each month.

Huazhong University of Science and Technology. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Approximately 60 percent of these companies were established within the last five years, spanning emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, optoelectronic information, software development, smart healthcare, animation production, and financial, leasing, and commercial tech support services.

HUST has played a crucial role in the development of OVC from its inception to its current strength. "OVC and HUST have always been companions on the path of innovation. In the field of compound semiconductors alone, our jointly established School of Integrated Circuits has produced nearly 1,000 graduates and has co-incubated several high-growth industry chain companies," said HUST President You Zheng at the 2025 JFS Conference.

Guanshan Avenue. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Xiao Hong, a HUST graduate and founder of the world's first general AI, Manus, has his company, Butterfly Effect, located just 600 meters from HUST's south gate. "My team's entrepreneurial journey has always revolved around HUST and the adjacent Guanshan Avenue," he said.

Renowned tech companies like Yuwei Optics Software, Smart View, and 2:10 Animation also have strong ties to HUST. Collaborative entrepreneurship involving professors, alumni, and students is a common model.

A corporate salon event held at OVC's entrepreneurship center. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

"Currently, 30 percent of the companies in our incubator are founded by HUST alumni," said an official from OVC’s entrepreneurship center. This center, located 1.9 kilometers from HUST, is China's first high-tech entrepreneurship service center and has incubated over 2,100 companies.

HUST alumni are now expanding eastward, with tech companies like DR Laser, Huaweike Intelligent, and Weipai Network taking root in East Lake Science City, sparking a new wave of innovation and entrepreneurship.