BEIJING -- Eleven new technology innovation centers have officially begun operations amid efforts to advance the country's cultural and tourism sectors, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Monday.

The initiative to establish these centers was launched in 2023, said Liu Dongyan, deputy director of the ministry's science and education department, at a press conference.

The first batch of centers spans eight provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Liaoning, Zhejiang and Fujian. Together, they employ nearly 1,000 management and technical professionals, with a total investment exceeding 100 million yuan ($13.91 million).

These innovation centers aim to offer a comprehensive range of services to cultural and tourism enterprises, guiding them through every stage from research and development (R&D) to pilot testing and, ultimately, product commercialization.

In terms of R&D, the centers focus on five key areas within the cultural and tourism industries: performance equipment, amusement facilities, smart tourism and scenic area development, art display and interactive experiences, and the digitalization and intelligence of cultural services.

Notable achievements include one center's collaboration with over 6,300 scenic spots, which has led to annual sales exceeding 300 million tickets. Another center's partner organizations are responsible for producing more than 80 percent of the world's mid-to-high-end virtual reality (VR) headsets.

"The ministry's technology innovation centers are playing an increasingly vital role in advancing and shaping the technological development of the industry," Liu said.

Liu also revealed that the selection process for the second batch of technology innovation centers is now underway. The new centers will target high-priority public concerns, critical sectors with urgent industry needs, emerging market trends, and cutting-edge frontier technologies.

"These new centers will address gaps in the current innovation system and enhance both technological and regional deployment strategies," Liu added.