(Yicai Global) Oct. 30 -- China Vanke Co. [SHE:000002; HK:2202] started to construct its Xiongan New Area research center, the Xiongan Vanke Building Research Institute, on Sept. 21 -- before the firm officially founded Xiongan Vanke Business Investment Co. (Xiongan Vanke) on Oct. 10.

The company inaugurated the Xiongan Vanke Building Research Institute on Oct. 28. It is Vanke's second research institution focused on building technology innovation after the Dongguan Vanke Building Research Institute in China's southern Guangdong province.

The Xiongan Vanke Building Research Institute is a development platform integrating science and technology innovation, technology research and development, and engineering testing. The firm established it with the approval of the Xiongan New Area's administrative committee. It is the first operational building technology R&D laboratory in the area.

Xiongan Vanke Building Research Institute has a construction area of 4,200 square meters, and the company is developing it in two phases. The enterprise completed the first, with a 2,200-square-meter laboratory, and put it into operation on Oct. 17. It mainly focuses on the research of new building materials, water environment and building materials, and indoor environmental quality testing. The second phase, with a 2,000-squre meter laboratory, is set to be completed and operational at the end of this year. It will mainly emphasize the study of building performance, assembly-type interior decoration, green building materials and soil and microorganisms, Vanke Group sources said.

Vanke signed a cooperation framework agreement on green development research and promotion in urban and rural construction with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China's Center of Science and Technology and Industrialization Development on Oct. 28. It signed a framework agreement to promote the introduction of China's Ministry of Environmental Protection's technology assessment and transformation platform in Xiongan New Area with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and China Energy Conservation's center of environment development and Environmental Protection Group Corp.

Under the first agreement, the signers will plan the green development strategy; research and promote urban and rural construction, high-quality building standards accreditation systems and applications; build high-grade green buildings and prefabricated buildings; and promote large-scale passive ultra-low energy buildings and other pilot demonstration projects in the country.

Under the second agreement, the signers will establish platforms for environmental testing and technology R&D, environmental protection equipment testing and technology evaluation, and environmental protection technology trading and industrial incubators to promote ecological environment construction in the Xiongan New Area.