The quality certification and accreditation industry based in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Shanghai FTZ) received a welcome boost after a cooperation agreement was signed between the FTZ's administrative committee and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) on June 20.

According to the agreement, the two sides will implement preferential policies in order to encourage certification and accreditation companies to locate in Zhangjiang Science City, which is located in the Shanghai FTZ.

And the soon to be built Shanghai Lingang Inspection Sci-Tech Park will serve as a driving force for the R&D and innovation of intelligent manufacturing in Lingang area, where it is a key industry.

Inspection companies will also be encouraged to locate in the area, with the aim of building an industrial cluster in the FTZ.

As well as these policies, CNCA will support the FTZ to seek cooperation with overseas certification and accreditation institutions, to help Chinese companies to tap into international markets.

Additionally, a new certification and accreditation system has been proposed to aid the development of Shanghai brands. It will be organized for local companies to have training sessions for a brand certification test. Those that pass the certification will receive stronger government support.

Qin Yizhi, deputy director of State Administration for Market Regulation, said that certification and accreditation for companies helps strengthen quality management and improve market efficiency, and urged the establishment of a quality certification system to better serve Shanghai FTZ's reform and opening up.

Weng Zuliang, Party secretary of Pudong New Area and director of Shanghai FTZ administrative committee, said that Pudong has attached great importance to quality certification and introduced achievements it had made in the sector. 

Weng also added that Pudong will take advantage of this cooperation to further develop quality of its certification and accreditation industry. 

By the end of 2017, Pudong had 182 certification and accreditation institutions, whose year-round revenue totaled 4.86 billion yuan ($704.4 million), higher than other districts in Shanghai. 

The administrative committee of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone reaches a cooperation deal with the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China on June 20. [Photo/WeChat Account: shanghaiftz]

The "Belt and Road" International Cooperation Center for Technology Exchange is inaugurated at the Shanghai FTZ on June 20. [Photo/WeChat Account: shanghaiftz]