This Week in WND (2025/12/14-2025/12/20)

WND held a key Party meeting on Dec 15 to review the achievements made during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) and map out priorities for the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan. Centered on industry, innovation, opening-up and people's wellbeing, the district is committed to taking a leading role in advancing Chinese modernization and promoting high-quality development.

AstraZeneca marked the topping-out of its new small molecule drug factory in Wuxi on Dec 19. With a total investment of $475 million, the project will introduce advanced continuous direct compression and sustainable packaging lines to build a world-class biopharmaceutical base. Set to begin operations in 2028, the facility will enable production from formulation through packaging and supply overseas markets.

Jiangsu Leadmicro Nano Technology celebrated its 10th anniversary and its third year as a listed company in WND on Dec 18. Specializing in ALD-based semiconductor equipment, the firm has made major breakthroughs, with its machines operating on mass-production lines at leading Chinese wafer fabs. It has shipped over 500 units and reached nearly 3 billion yuan ($426.4 million) in annual revenue, ranking among China's fastest-growing semiconductor equipment makers.

The Four Seasons Evolution Space (OPC Community) of CETHIK Group's Small, Micro and Special-Purpose Robot Innovation Park was unveiled in WND on Dec 17. Agreements on several projects to be developed in the area, including one that involves aircraft engine inspection robots, were signed. With support in computing power, finance, workspace, testing scenarios, and industry connections, the OPC Community aims to accelerate the incubation and growth of robotics startups.

WND achieved a major milestone in AI chip development, underscoring China's growing edge-computing capabilities. Changsha Jingjia Microelectronics announced on Dec 15 that its Wuxi subsidiary, Wuxi Chengheng Microelectronics, successfully completed tape-out, packaging, retesting, and power-on of its self-developed CH37 series AI SoC, designed for edge devices. The chip's key functions and performance met all design expectations.

WND has been driving major industrial projects to completion since the start of Q4, ranging from advanced semiconductor equipment and high-purity electronic material handling systems to smart headquarters and green industrial parks. These high-tech, high-impact investments are poised to boost the district's economic growth and build momentum for future innovation.

WND was named a "China Digital Hub • Data Industry Cluster" at the Wuxi Data Industry & Trusted Data Space Conference on Dec 18, marking a major step in its leadership of the data sector. In 2024, the district's core digital industries generated over 360 billion yuan ($51.17 billion) in revenue, with emerging strategic sectors accounting for 55.4%. As of October this year, digital industries accounted for 42.1% of the district's total revenue.

The Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket was recently launched from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, placing the DEAR-5 experimental spacecraft into the planned orbit. WND company Tyee Space Biotechnology contributed four types of research samples — probiotics, yeast, edible fungi, and medicinal plant seeds — to study how space environments affect microbes and seeds, providing scientific support for developing new quality productive forces.

Twelve WND enterprises have made the list of China's potential unicorn enterprises, accounting for 36.4% of Wuxi's total and ranking first in the city. The selected companies span five sectors, with 7 in the chip sector, 2 in the commercial space sector, and 1 each in the innovative drug, innovative medical device, and high-end intelligent equipment & device sectors. Their overall valuation exceeds $2.8 billion.

WND's new energy smart equipment cluster has been recognized as a specialized SME industrial cluster in Jiangsu for 2025. By the end of 2024, the cluster generated 79.1 billion yuan ($11.23 billion) in output and comprises more than 100 SMEs, including 42 specialized innovative firms, 19 little giants, and three manufacturing single champions.

Great news from WND: Longsheng Technology has been added to the second list of provincial leading manufacturing enterprises. With this update, the district now has 7 provincial manufacturing leaders and 3 provincial software leaders — the highest total in Wuxi.

Wuxi Shuofang Airport's off-airport cargo terminal in WND opened on Dec 16, extending customs, security, and cargo handling into the industrial zone. This eases airport pressure, increases throughput, and stabilizes the supply chain for semiconductors and biomedical enterprises.

Construction on Metro Line 4 Phase II has reached a major milestone: tunneling between Linghu Avenue and Wuxi New District stations has successfully navigated beneath the busy Beijing-Shanghai and Shanghai-Nanjing railways. This marks a critical step toward the full line's planned 2026 opening.