The number of people considered chuangke, which roughly translates as "inventors of new ideas or products," is growing rapidly in Shanghai as the city proceeds with plans to transform itself into a world hub of innovation.

A Shanghai Commission of Science and Technology blueprint, issued last March, aims to nurture 200,000 individual innovators by 2020 and create 3,000 workshops where they can give their brainpower free rein.

Ants Chuangke Space, first established in the Yangpu District's university town to help individuals and small companies involved in Internet education, is coming to Songjiang's Thames Town.

"We named it Ants because it's small, but an army of ants gathered together has great strength," Yu Jie, one of the founders of the project, said in an earlier interview with Shanghai Daily.

Ants participants in Yangpu are provided rent-free space for their work. Two angel funds have invested 35 million yuan (US$5.6 million) to sponsor young entrepreneurs there.

The center is now home to 67 start-up companies.

The Songjiang branch will be part of Ants' second phase of expansion.

Wang Chao, chief executive of Songjiang Jiayin Piano, will be one of the first beneficiaries of the expansion. He joined the Ants Space in May, receiving angel financing to open a chain of 25 classrooms in Minhang, Yangpu, Xuhui and Qingpu districts to teach children to play piano.

"We'll also work together to build a family bonding space for children and parents," Wang said.

While Yangpu Ants is mainly aimed at developing Internet education, the Songjiang branch will focus on real-time, real-location education, making the best use of resources in Songjiang University Town.

"The town has seven universities and more than 100,000 college students, but few stay after graduation," said Li Mei, one of the Ants partners. "We'll offer career opportunities for them as well as training on web business operations."

Songjiang Ants also will work with the universities to provide platforms for students to start up their own businesses.