A fully automated packaging machine operates at a new materials company in Shanghai’s Qingpu district. [Photo provided to english.shanghai.gov.cn]
Qingpu district has emerged as a driving force in the industrial growth of Shanghai, capitalizing on its strengths in both navigation technology and in the low-altitude economy.
In the first 10 months of 2024, the district’s industrial output value for business enterprises above the designated size reached 142.86 billion yuan ($19.61 billion), representing 1.4 percent year-on-year growth, according to data released at a municipal news briefing on Nov 29.
That growth rate has placed Qingpu second among Shanghai’s eight major industrial districts.
Driving the momentum forwards are Qingpu’s strategic emerging industries, which recorded an output value of 44.04 billion yuan in the first three quarters of 2024. That was up 11.4 percent year-on-year and was 11.8 percentage points above the city’s average growth rate.
As the site of the China International Import Expo and as a part of the Hongqiao International Opening-Up Hub, Qingpu occupies a special position in the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region.
It’s the only administrative district in Shanghai that borders both East China’s Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, enhancing its role in fostering regional collaboration and development.
Cluster development, tech upgrades
Qingpu hosts two national-level small and medium-sized enterprise clusters specializing in the Beidou satellite navigation system and digital logistics.
Furthermore, it houses a national-level demonstration base for advanced structural and composite materials and four municipal-level SME clusters focused on Beidou navigation, digital logistics, digital information and the digital applications industries.
To accelerate its innovation, Qingpu is supporting technological upgrades in strategic emerging sectors and is encouraging the establishment of enterprise technology centers.
Companies that are engaged in these sectors can receive subsidies of up to 12 percent of their total investment for technological transformation projects, topping the standard rate by 4 percentage points.
This focus is said to have increased the share of strategic emerging industries in the total output value of enterprises above the designated size — those with annual sales of 20 million yuan or more — from 24.2 percent at the end of 2021 to 34.6 percent in October 2024.
The district is also home to a robust network of enterprise technology centers – 104 at the district level, 75 municipal-level and two national-level – that help to facilitate breakthroughs in critical technologies.
By September 2024, Qingpu had registered 45,700 active patents in the period, reflecting a 1.9 percent year-on-year increase, with invention patents experiencing a 26.81 percent rise in growth.
Industry leaders and innovations
Hou Yongtao, vice-president of CHC Navigation, a leader in China in high-precision navigation and positioning technology based in Qingpu, said the company was a testament to Qingpu’s innovative spirit.
The company has built more than 5,000 base stations globally, achieving centimeter-level positioning accuracy. CHC Navigation’s products maintain stable signals even in challenging environments — including the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the deserts and in the Gobi Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as well as in the glaciers of Antarctica.
Qingpu is also home to China’s first operational Beidou industrial park, the China Beidou Industrial Technology Innovation Xihongqiao Base.
The base has fostered a thriving Beidou navigation ecosystem, with nearly 500 active invention patents and core industry output exceeding 10 billion yuan in 2023, said Wan Song, vice-president of Shanghai Xihongqiao Navigation Industry Development Co Ltd.
Wan attributed the success to its focus on technological innovation and a comprehensive industrial supply chain.
Commitment to green manufacturing
Qingpu’s push for sustainable development is seen as being evident in its emphasis on green factories, parks, supply chains and products.
Shanghai Qiyuan Green Power Technology Co Ltd, a key player in the electric heavy trucks sector, exemplifies this commitment. Wang Shoukang, the company’s general manager of product R&D, highlighted its achievement in developing the world’s first battery-swapping heavy truck, a testament to its dedication to green transportation solutions.
,https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-Latest-WhatsNew/20241205/290668a06067453b9d55f2bd85742215.html