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November 14, 2018

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The recruitment hub for Yangtze River Delta

SHANGHAI is the hub of science and engineering for the technology industry in the Yangtze River Delta, helping its neighbors in digital realms such as big data, Internet plus, artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing.

The city is also spearheading efforts to attract top talent around the world to China and to the region.

Development in the digital economy is transforming the delta as well as the nation, according to the Digital Economy and Talent Development Report for China’s Yangtze River Delta Region. It’s issued by several organizations, including LinkedIn, the world’s leading professional networking platform.

“The size and growth rate of the digital economy in the Yangtze River Delta region are well above the national average, making it an important ‘bellwether’ for the national economy,” said Chen Yubo, head of the Center for Internet Development and Governance at Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management. “It provides other regions with valuable experience.”

Shanghai’s commitment to improving its investment and business environment is exemplified by his hosting of the China International Import Expo, which concluded last week.

Artificial intelligence is in the spotlight. Nearly 90 percent of engineers believe it will significantly impact future innovation, according to a survey conducted by consulting firm CCID and US-based TE Connectivity.

In the Yangtze River Delta region, talent recruitment is concentrated in information, computers and technology, manufacturing, corporate services, consumer goods and finance.

Based on the data of LinkedIn members in China, 495,000 professionals with top diplomas and 118,000 people with professional experience in information, communications and technology are located in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The report and database “feature a complete talent structure, including new graduates and seasoned top talent,” said Wang Yanping, head of China Public Policy and Government Affairs at LinkedIn.

Currently, LinkedIn has 44 million members in China working in 1.1 million companies.

Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Ningbo are most attractive cities in the region in attracting professional talent, according to the report.

Shanghai is the most attractive city in China in terms of scientific research. In 2017, a fourth of all China’s scientific achievements occurred in Shanghai, according to government figures.

In terms of recruitment of offshore talent, Shanghai also leads the country. Top firms including Amazon, Microsoft and Philips are establishing new research facilities in the city, especially in artificial intelligence (AI).

Microsoft opened a new AI center in the city, its largest research facility outside of the United States.

Amazon plans to open a new AI lab in Shanghai and add Mandarin-language support to Amazon Polly, a machine-learning service that turns text into lifelike speech. The new language support will allow Chinese users to create applications that talk and build new categories of speech-enabled products.

Rich academic resources and advanced infrastructure have created in Shanghai “a nice eco-system” to develop AI, said Alain Crozier, chairman and chief executive of Microsoft China.

Shanghai initiated a new round of policies to turn artificial intelligence into a 100-billion-yuan (US$14.8 billion) industry by 2020. That would be a big jump from industry value of about 70 billion yuan last year. It also promised incentives to help startups recruit more talent.

More than 80 percent of engineers have a positive outlook on China’s future in innovation, according to a survey released by TE in Shanghai last month.

The Yangtze River Delta region is one of the most economically dynamic and open regions in China, and it is also a key hub of the “Belt and Road Initiative,” said LinkedIn’s report.

For example, Jinhua in Zhejiang Province and Changzhou in Jiangsu Province are moving rapidly in digital development, becoming attractive work choices for overseas professional talent, while Ningbo in Zhejiang and Suzhou in Jiangsu are top picks for domestic talent.

“The region should focus on a pan-regional talent strategy by mapping out policies and initiatives that encourage the aggregation and flow of talent,” said Yang Yaowu, head of the Shanghai Institute of Science and Technology Policy.




 

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