MNCs shine as Yangpu beefs up innovation
Print Edition
FORTY multinational corporations (MNCs) with strong presence in Shanghai will receive awards today for their innovative role under the “Innovation and Development: Multinational companies in Shanghai” campaign co-organized by Shanghai Daily and Eastday.com.
Based on the results of 5.72 million votes cast within one month, an awarding ceremony will be held today at the Knowledge and Innovation Community in city’s Yangpu District, a forerunner itself in city’s technology-and-innovation-driven headquarters development.
Once the mainstay of Shanghai’s modern manufacturing, Yangpu is now taking another critical role in the city’s transformation. As Shanghai steps up its efforts toward the ambitious goal as a technology and innovation center of global influence, the district is drawing on its rich industrial heritage and forging ahead to facilitate a success of the transformation.
This northeastern part of Shanghai where the Huangpu River flows by, is now home to 8 MNCs, including leaders in the Industry 4.0 revolution, which is seen to give China a historic opportunity to upgrade its manufacturing. The district government aspires to have 30 headquarters as well as research and development centers of MNCs in Yangpu by 2020.
Besides a strong contribution to revenue and employment, the spillover effect from MNCs on the district’s overall innovation capability is much anticipated as Yangpu is seeking to evolve from a traditional manufacturing base into a special platform for Shanghai to realize its technology and innovation ambition. Daxue Road, Songhu Road, East Guoding Road and Changyang Road in the district have been earmarked to become the mainstay of the platform.
A blueprint is drawn for Yangpu’s three core zones which will showcase functions, knowledge and technology innovation, technology transfer and concentration, as well as public innovation demonstration. Having up to 400,000 square meters of disused old factory space available for re-development into convenient, cost-effective workshops or open space, the district wants to make sparks of inspiration fly with a converging of all kinds of companies, ranging from small and medium enterprises to startups with potential to become tomorrow’s MNCs.
A case in point is Ruking Electronics Technology, which has grown from a small company with only 7 workers more than a decade ago in Yangpu into a co-founder of a leading climate technology joint venture with American Fortune 500 company Emerson.
The district’s innovation capability grows organically. As the birthplace of modern Shanghai’s higher education, Yangpu is the location of 10 pretigious universities with the world-renowned Fudan University in the forefront.
The fame as a cradle of talent and a competitive office rental have made Yangpu a nuritious environment for headquarters economy to thrive.
German manufacturers find Yangpu particularly comfortable as their home in China, having among their neighbors in the district the Tongji University which is strong in engineering and deep in German ties in history.
The strong intellectual ambience it has for automotive engineering, which is one of the university’s foremost academic strength, attracts time-honored German auto parts and technology supplier Continental to become one of the earliest MNC residents in Yangpu.
Henkel, a German company that leads the chemical application in both consumer and industrial sectors, has long been in cooperation with Tongji over the study of materials for green vehicles. It has recently upgraded its Chinese headquarters in Yangpu District into the operation center of its Asia Pacific business.
MNC-friendly
Henkel’s move is an acknowledgment of the local government’s long-term efforts to make the investment environment MNC-friendly as it offers tax incentives and special help in talent recruiting and retaining. The latest efforts include a plan to open two more international schools in the district in the near future to facilitate education for the children of foreigners working and living in Yangpu.
More importantly, the upgraded status of the headquarter indicates the recognition of the district’s potential for businesses to expand here given its readiness to adapt to Shanghai’s new development in its economic functions and related policies.
The establishment of the Free Trade Zone two years ago brings about opportunities to MNCs in Shanghai while poses new tasks of coordination to the local government.
“We are trying to adapt to the operations of municipal-level administrations, and facilitating business convenience for multinational companies in the district after drawing the new experience from the Free Trade Zone. We also get to know new policies and knowledge in customs rules, foreign exchange administration and the FTZ so as to provide professional and high quality services,” said Meng Hongyu, vice director of commerce commission and economic commission of Yangpu District. “MNCs are growing together with Yangpu.”
It has been a trend that MNCs try to integrate their headquarters into the local ecosystem and behave as a responsible corporate member in return to the comunity.
The office building of German electric equipment leader Siemens’ Shanghai headquarters in Yangpu District is designed with sustainability in mind, featuring intelligent water waste disposal and nature-powered lighting and heating. In New Jiangwan Town, the company is also an active participant in the intelligent grid system.
Sportswear brand Nike is the organizer of an 8-kilometer health run along one of Shanghai’s most scenic routes across Jiangwan, passing its headquarters. It has built a synthetic court for the community from disused sports shoes. As the technology and innovation driven growth model becomes a new image of Yangpu, so will come more headquarters of MNCs there.
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