Nantong bolsters new quality productive forces, seeking high-quality development

A bird's-eye view of Nantong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Nantong in Jiangsu province has in recent years seized multiple national strategic opportunities such as Yangtze River Delta integration to promote the coordinated development of science and technology with industry.

The city has positioned technological innovation as the core driving force for industrial upgrading, creating new development momentum.

Focusing on the development of six key industrial clusters valued at 100 billion yuan ($13.77 billion) each, Nantong has worked to create special parks to facilitate the implementation of high-quality projects.

The Baoyuehu Life and Health Industry Park, for example, has attracted over 80 high-growth companies like Koka Lifesciences and Bioda. Leveraging the professional platform of Baoyuehu, the Nantong North High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has stepped up efforts in integrated circuits, life sciences, and automotive electronics, attracting over 300 high-quality innovative enterprises to invest or set up operations in the area.

The collaborative innovation development model of enclave incubation is a key way that Nantong is boosting technological innovation. This model involves establishing R&D and incubation bases in places like Shanghai and then completing pilot testing and industrialization in Nantong. So far, the city has set up 14 enclave incubations in Shanghai and southern Jiangsu, with a total of 143 incubation projects.

Partnering with major institutions is also a crucial part of its efforts to enhance the capacity for innovation and industrializing the results of technological innovation. In recent years, Nantong has focused on building a "1+2" technology innovation center system, that is, one comprehensive technology innovation center and two specialized technology innovation centers. High-level platforms such as the Advanced Ocean Institute of Southeast University have successively set up operations in the zone, with 36 such institutions established in the city.

Nantong has also introduced various measures to support the establishment of industry funds, with the two major fund clusters - industrial investment and innovation development - totaling 80 billion yuan in the city. These funds have invested in 244 local projects and introduced 129 projects to the city.

Moving forward, Nantong will continue to capitalize on its strengths to develop new quality productive forces as it strives toward high-quality development.