China launches first big data laboratory

China has launched its first 'big data' engineering laboratory in southwestern Guizhou Province to improve government management efficiency.
The laboratory, officially set up yesterday, has several functions, including collecting and analysing administrative data, offering privacy protection of data and applying big data technology to government decision making, clean government supervision, social management and public services.
Big data is extremely large data sets that may be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions.
The laboratory is located in the national high-tech industrial development zone in the provincial capital Guiyang.
"It will focus on the study of big data dedicated to government management and encourage the application and industrialsation of big data in government management efficiency," Wang Daming, head of the Council of National Engineering Laboratory, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The National Development and Reform Commission approved the joint construction of the laboratory by Guizhou and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation in November, 2016.

Guizhou is the country's first pilot zone for big data. The technology has been widely applied in the government management, business and daily life.
For example, the provincial high people's court has set up a big data system to aid the handling of cases and facilitate public inquiries.
The province also made a big data industrial map, which demonstrates companies' development in different areas, providing reference for policy making.
The province's computer, communication and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries saw their added value reach 9.3 billion yuan (USD 1.4 billion) in 2016, about nine times that in 2011.