The Hefei National High-Tech Industry Development Zone – located in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province – recently launched a groundbreaking initiative called Project Steward.

It provides comprehensive and tailored approval services for key investments, supply chain enhancements and livelihood improvement projects in the region.

With the adoption of the innovative service model, 53 construction projects in the zone – involving a total investment of 33.39 billion yuan ($4.57 billion) – have enjoyed the benefit, significantly accelerating their development.

The Project Steward service offers a one-stop solution by assigning a dedicated assistant to each project. This is said to ensure full life-cycle support – including policy interpretations, consultations guidance, communications, coordination and assistance deliveries from project start to completion.

As a result, an effective service mechanism has been established – focusing on front-line assistance, demand responses, consultations, task deliveries and follow-ups – promoting the development of resident enterprises.

Furthermore, the zone has set up a regular steward meeting mechanism to ensure effective implementation and service delivery.

With the adoption of ad-hoc meetings, major and urgent issues are collectively discussed, providing solutions and expediting project approvals processes.

The move is said to signify the zeal of the high-tech zone in optimizing the business environment and support enterprises by accelerating project constructions, reducing costs and ensuring smooth fund inflows.

Through enhanced communications – including on-site visits, telephone calls and WeChat – the zone is understood to have significantly bolstered its interactions with enterprises.