Jiangsu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology has recently issued the Guidelines on the Development of Manufacturing Innovation Centers in Jiangsu (2025) to establish a comprehensive and efficient technological innovation system. Aligning with the guiding principles of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the province’s practical needs, the Guidelines prioritized the establishment of innovation centers in relevant fields across 16 advanced manufacturing clusters and 50 key industrial chains, ensuring at least one center per field. Once an existing center matures, an additional one may be established in the same field.

Jiangsu’s manufacturing innovation centers are new types of innovation carriers registered and founded within the province. They are voluntarily formed and jointly decided by various innovation entities including companies, universities, R&D institutions, investment and financing agencies, and new types of social organizations within the industry. These centers operate as corporate legal entities under a “company + alliance” model.

The Guidelines outline basic requirements for the establishment of these centers. Each center must have several leading companies within the respective industrial chain as shareholders and an initial capital investment of no less than RMB 30 million. The innovation alliance should integrate all types of innovation entities, including upstream and downstream companies, R&D institutions and universities in the field and should encompass at least 50% of the province’s major national-level innovation platforms. The centers must have independent operations, a dedicated facility, and no fewer than 50 full-time R&D personnel. Their R&D expenditures should account for no less than 30% of total costs in the previous year.

The province will conduct regular assessments of the innovation centers and rate them on a scale of excellent, good, qualified, and unqualified. Centers rated excellent or good will receive preferential support in project building, funding and other policy incentives. Those rated unqualified will be given one year for rectification. Failure to meet the standards in a subsequent assessment will result in necessary adjustments to the center.