A research institute focusing on the intelligence industry was established in east China on Friday to help the country sharpen its competitive edge in an intelligence revolution.

The Nanjing Research Institute of Intelligence Industry was created by the Institute of Automation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IACAS) in partnership with the Nanjing Qilin Technology Park.

Located in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, the research base consists of an institute, a technology park, a company and a foundation, in addition to a center for international communication, according to the IACAS.

The intelligence base will concentrate on five intelligence-related fields during its initial stage, including high-performance microprocessors, intelligence information and big data, intelligent medical equipment, advance process control and intelligent device, as well as cultural technology and visual industry.

Wang Donglin, head of the IACAS, said that the research project is both necessary and important, as China needs to stay up-to-date with the international intelligence revolution.

Wang added that it will contribute to China's economic development and serve the needs of government departments and the general public by providing state-of-the-art information technology, as it boasts advanced research and a foundation for scientific development.