Constructionstarted yesterday to convert an old industrial center in north Shanghai into a high-tech park focusing on intelligent manufacturing, cars, health and new materials.

Over 30 high-rises to serve as office buildings and research labs for high-tech enterprises will be built on the site of the former Baoshan City Industrial Park in Baoshan District, which was built in 1995 for the city’s traditional iron and steel industry.

With a total investment of 2 billion yuan (US$313 million), the new “Innovation Galaxy Oasis” park will feature environmentally friendly facilities and will be the city’s major scientific research base.

One of its key features will be the Shanghai Graphene Industry Park for applications of graphene, the lightest, thinnest and strongest known material.

Over 40 research teams and 20 enterprises are expected to base themselves in the graphene park to develop new products and industrial chains for the semi-metal.

The Oasis Park will cover 86,000 square meters on Yuanxin and Shanlian roads and be completed by 2020.

Former residents living near the park have been relocated to a newly built neighborhood nearby. An elementary and middle school, along with other support facilities for those working in the future park are planned.

The project, jointly developed by the Baoshan government and the state-owned Lingang Group, also marks the transformation from the traditional and polluting industries of north Shanghai to environmentally friendly high-tech and innovative parks, the government said.

The government yesterday also signed a deal with Lingang to convert the Nanda area, a heavily polluted former industrial site, into an intelligence community.

Nanda has undergone major treatment to combat soil contamination from the large number of old generation industries previously based there.

According to development plan, the future Nanda area will have an industrial park for Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Vehicles and other high-tech industries. A high-end community featuring intelligent infrastructure is also planned.