The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly points out that we must adhere to the principle of building cities by the people and for the people.

Hence, Yangpu District has remained committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of the people during urban renewal and development.

In November 2021, Yangpu made it clear that the core value of people-oriented urban construction is humanistic value, and the fundamental position is people’s position. Putting the people at the center will always be the starting point and foundation of all work for Yangpu’s innovative development in the next stage.

The Yangpu Binjiang People’s City Construction Planning Exhibition Hall has emerged in response to the needs of the times. Since its completion and opening last year, the number of visitors has exceeded 550,000, making it the best platform for vividly interpreting the important concept of the people’s city.

In May, the 2023 Yangpu Binjiang Global Promotion Conference was held at the riverside square along the Lifestyle Show Belt. With the lights lit up, this 15.5-kilometer waterfront coastline in downtown Shanghai opens up its warm embrace, sending out a warm invitation to the world with the theme of “Creating the Future in Yangpu.”

As a national demonstration base for entrepreneurship and innovation, a major site for the construction of Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center, and a pilot urban area for Science and Technology Innovation in China, Yangpu has been deeply committed to implementing the innovation-driven development strategy for many years. It has successfully embarked on a path of transformation and upgrading from “Industrial Yangpu” to “Innovative Yangpu.”

The district Party committee and government are aware that Yangpu is born and thrives on innovation, and innovation is the first driving force behind Yangpu’s economic and social development.

In 2022, the gross domestic product growth rate of Yangpu ranked first in the city. Moving forward to the first half of 2023, the district’s GDP increased by 12.7 percent year on year, taking a leading position in the city.

This year, the development of the strategic emerging industry clusters in Yangpu has received recognition and stimulation from the State Council, or China’s Cabinet, and the construction of “dual-innovation” demonstration bases has won five commendations.

The number of high-tech enterprises and “Little Giant” enterprises specializing in niche sectors ranks first among all the districts in downtown Shanghai. The resilience and endogenous dynamic of Yangpu’s economic development have significantly increased.

At present, Yangpu is further activating innovation as the “first driving force,” from four aspects, to promote innovative development and start again. The key point is to build an innovative modern industrial system of “1+2+3+4.”

Digital economy

“1” is centering around the digital economy. Yangpu adheres to the dual drive of digital industrialization and industrial digitization, and promotes the development of the digital economical industry to accumulate momentum.

As of the end of 2022, nearly 7,000 digital economy enterprises have gathered in Yangpu, and the contribution by the digital economy accounted for over 30 percent of district fiscal revenue and more than half of the district income.

The information technology service industry, led by the digital economy, has maintained a continuous growth rate of over 20 percent for many years. In the first half of 2023, the growth rate of the digital economy, represented by the software and information service industries, reached 40 percent, and the agglomeration effect of the digital economy continued to emerge.

Yangpu strives to incubate over 10,000 digital economy companies and foster 30 or more leading digital enterprises by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

“2” means giving full play to the two basic supporting roles of “intelligence +” and “Internet +.”

In recent years, Yangpu has focused on the forefront of industrial development, and has jointly established the Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Industry Innovation with Fudan University, and the National Intelligent Social Governance Experimental Comprehensive Base with Tongji University.

A large number of Internet leading enterprises such as Meituan, Bilibili and Douyin have gathered in the district. Yangpu will actively comply with the development trend of intelligent, green and integration, based on the advantages of the Yangpu Internet enterprise clusters, and fully empower various industries, adding the wings to the development of the industry with “intelligent +” and “Internet +.”

“3” is to focus on building three industrial clusters valued at tens of billions, namely the online new economy, intelligent manufacturing and creative design.

So far, the online new economy cluster in the district currently has around 560 online new economy enterprises led by Meituan, Bilibili, Douyin, JD Dada, Xiaohongshu and UCloud.

All of these enterprises are reputable industry leaders with vast resources, technical expertise and innovative business models. They have made significant contributions to the development of the local economy and the overall progress of the online new economy industry in China.

Yangpu will continue to support and create favorable conditions for the development of these online new economy enterprises, and further attract more high-quality online new economy enterprises to settle in the district, offering more job opportunities and achieving greater prosperity.

Concerning intelligent manufacturing, Yangpu ranked first in the city in 2022 in terms of industrial robot density, intelligent factory evaluations, and other related indexes. This excellent performance reflects the district’s emphasis on promoting data intelligence transformation and its meticulous planning and execution in developing intelligent manufacturing.

Going forward, the district will continue to leverage its competitive advantage in the high-tech sector, optimize the development of the industrial chain, strictly control environmental pollution and promote the sustainable development of the industry.

At the same time, Yangpu will further enhance its research and development capabilities in intelligent manufacturing, deploy big data technology and artificial intelligence, and build an intelligent manufacturing ecosystem with a focus on production-oriented and service-oriented industries. The district aims to become a benchmark and a leader in China’s next-generation intelligent manufacturing industry, while contributing to the nation’s efforts to upgrade domestic industries towards a high-quality and innovative future.

With creative design as the core, Yangpu has always adhered to the development concept of coordinative development of campus, industrial park and community, and the integration of industry city, education city and innovation city to build a “tropical rainforest” style design industry innovation ecosystem, in which the innovation of one industry can stimulate the progress of others, creating a virtuous circle of development.

Hence, Yangpu will take the opportunity of implementing the “Tongji Ring 3.0” to fully build the core functional area of Shanghai’s “Design Capital,” as well as a first-class design and creative center with international recognition and influence throughout the country.

“4” refers to the forward-looking layout of four emerging fields, namely technology services, artificial intelligence, life and health, green and low-carbon.

The district will cultivate a group of high-level technology service institutions, attract influential technology finance headquarters and R&D institutions to gather, and ignite the development engine of the technology service industry.

By holding forums and events such as the 2023 Foundation Models Entrepreneurship Conference, Yangpu aims to build an artificial intelligence industry ecosystem that integrates talent, technology, data, products, and industry application scenarios, continuously strengthening and optimizing the artificial intelligence industry.

It has gathered a group of leading enterprises in the segmented field of life and health, led by Dian Diagnostic, Times Angel and Univ-G, gathered a group of digital health enterprises, including Best Covered and WeDoctor, while incubating a batch of innovative head enterprises such as Bide Pharmatech and Teddy Clinical Research Laboratories, accelerating the establishment of a digital health innovation industrial ecosystem.

Relying on the low-carbon development practice zone of Yangpu Binjiang and Great Knowledge and Innovation Community park, the district will vigorously develop green and low-carbon industries and promote the green and low-carbon transformation of industries.

At present, Yangpu is working to activate innovation as the “first driving force,” firming up reform and opening up as the “key move,” and achieving high-quality development as the “top priority.”

Realistic measures have been taken to boost regional innovative momentum and continue to grow the innovation industry, focusing on enhancing innovation “four forces” to promote sustained growth in regional innovation and transform the 60.61 square kilometers of land into a haven for innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as a high ground for wisdom and intelligence.