The Chinese media are reporting that Nokia has set up an Experience and Innovation Center in Beijing to help mobile Internet start-ups in China. The centre aims to provide developers and entrepreneurs with advice, solutions and training to encourage them to grow their businesses. 

Lin Qizhong, vice-president of Nokia (China) Investment Co Ltd., noted that, in the next three to five years, the center will select up to 3,000 entrepreneurial ideas, help set up 300 technology start ups, and assist 30 these companies with obtaining a stock market listing. According to Fu Lei, the managing director of the new center, Nokia will "co-operate with China universities and high-tech zones to find great ideas and entrepreneurs".

While the the new centre will have an emphasis on mobile Internet services, it will not, in keeping with Nokia's standard investment policies, be limited to innovations and ideas built on Nokia software platforms and devices. However, one of the underlying motivations for Nokia will be to get innovative software entrepreneurs working with Nokia, which may, ultimately, lead to a partnership and the inclusion of an innovation in a Nokia product.

Nokia's Beijing office

China, and Beijing in particular, has become an important location for Nokia. Its Beijing office is the headquarters for the Asia Pacific region (previously Singapore), houses a Nokia Research Centre, and is termed a "global innovation centre" for the company, where product development for both mobile phone and smartphone devices is carried out. The opening of what is essentially a start-up incubator continues this trend. 

Via: My Nokia Blog