In 2023, aiming to develop into a globally influential industrial sci-tech innovation center, Jiangsu followed the principles of establishing the new before abolishing the old, taking measures tailored specifically to local conditions and providing category-based guidance. This approach facilitated the deep integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, thus contributing Jiangsu’s share to the national efforts to achieve self-reliance and strength in high-level science and technology.
Industrial Development
New strides were made in building a modernized industrial system. In 2023, the total added value of the manufacturing sector across the province amounted to RMB 4.66 trillion, accounting for 36.3% of the regional GDP; the high-quality development index of the manufacturing sector hit 91.9, ranking first nationwide. All 13 prefecture-level cities made the list of the national top 100 cities in advanced manufacturing. The total added value of the service sector in the province reached RMB 6.62 trillion, making up 51.6% of the regional GDP; Among it, the operating income of service enterprises above a designated size grew by 9.2%. A pool of 5,145 key companies and a corporate database composed of 36,000 companies that fell under the “1650 industrial system” (namely, 16 advanced manufacturing clusters and 50 key industrial chains) were established. The enterprise cultivation and support initiative to strengthen industrial chains saw formulation and implementation. Ten national-level clusters led the efforts in or collaborated with their respective regions, laying down three-year action plans for cultivation and upgrading tailored to each cluster (namely, “One Cluster, One Policy”), and carrying out matchmaking events with a focus on “One Cluster, One Product”, so as to build world-class industrial clusters.
Digital and intelligent transformation and network connectivity was further boosted. By the end of 2023, Jiangsu had topped the national list in terms of the integration between industrialization and IT application for nine consecutive years. An accumulated eight national-level “Digital Pioneer” companies were established, along with 32 intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories and 97 5G-enabled factories. Suzhou was selected as one of the first national pilot cities for the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). All 13,710 administrative villages across the province achieved 5G signal coverage. The development of big data, cloud computing, block-chain, artificial intelligence, and IoV (Internet of Vehicles), and the industrialization of third-generation semiconductors picked up speed.
Strategic emerging industries grew rapidly. The output value of industrial strategic emerging industries and high-tech industries accounted for 41.3% and 49.9% respectively of that of the industrial enterprises above a designated size. The business revenue of strategic emerging service industries above a designated size grew by 9.4%, with that of the internet and its related service industries seeing an 18% increase. The added value of the core industries of the digital economy constituted 11.4% of the provincial GDP for the year. The output values of the new energy vehicle and the new energy industry rose by 19% and 14.5%, respectively.
The development of future industries was accelerated. Breakthroughs were achieved in frontier new materials and future networks, with artificial intelligence, hydrogen energy and energy storage beginning to attain substantial scales. Over 300 key enterprises and institutions across the hydrogen industrial chain, from upstream to downstream, were attracted and nurtured in areas such as Zhangjiagang, Changshu, and Rugao, accounting for more than 10% of the total number of hydrogen enterprises nationwide; Nanjing’s Future Network Town became a distinctive town at the provincial level. The province was home to upwards of 3,000 artificial intelligence enterprises.
Scientific and Technological Innovation
In 2023, Jiangsu rolled out an action plan to develop the province into a globally influential industrial sci-tech innovation center and continued to build self-reliance and strength in high-level science and technology, making headway in sci-tech innovation. R&D investment across the society accounted for 3.2% of the provincial GDP, with the number of invention patents per 10,000 people reaching 62.1, maintaining the top among provincial-level regions nationwide for eight years in a row.
Basic research opened up new vistas. An action plan to strengthen basic research was introduced, accompanied by the implementation of the “1820” initiative (namely, setting out 18 priority areas and 18 key tasks, and putting forth 20 supporting measures) to bolster basic research as a source of new development. Efforts were made in exploring the practice of Special Zones for Applied Basic Research. Relying on Nanjing University and Southeast University, provincial centers for physics and applied mathematical sciences were established. With the support of Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing Normal University and Jiangnan University, a provincial center for foundational research in synthetic biology was founded. Additionally, two National Basic Science Centers focusing on Water Quality Risk Control Engineering and the Fundamental Causes and Precision Prevention of Common Chronic Diseases respectively were newly approved.
The independent innovation capabilities of enterprises were further enhanced. Ten policies to improve the technological innovation capabilities of enterprises and 12 measures supporting private enterprises in taking part in major technological innovations were introduced. The “Two Reductions and Two Increases” (namely, reduction of procedures and required documents, and increase of time and guidance) facilitation services were rendered to high-tech enterprises, whose number exceeded 51,000. There were about 94,000 technology-based SMEs, and 795 newly recognized national-level “Little Giant” companies that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, both numbers ranking first in the country. The number of national-level technology enterprise incubators, the area, and the number of incubated enterprises had maintained the national top for many consecutive years. The province was home to another eight national enterprise technology centers and six national technology innovation demonstration enterprises. The 58 new domestically listed companies registered a financing scale of RMB 58.74 billion in IPO; the numbers of companies listed on the STAR Market and the Beijing Stock Exchange reached 110 and 43, respectively. Across the province, about 94,000 technology contracts were signed in the technology market, with a transaction amount of RMB 460.74 billion.
New outcomes were yielded in the cultivation of strategic scientific and technological strength. The headquarters base of Suzhou Lab broke ground; Purple Mountain Laboratories unveiled the world’s first cross-wide area network coding distributed storage system and initiated the construction of the industry’s first comprehensive 6G laboratory. The Taihu Laboratory of Deep-sea Technological Science laid out the construction of the Lianyungang Center, while the Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory and Yunlonghu Laboratory sped up development. The province boasted 204 national and provincial key laboratories, 214 public service platforms for science and technology at the provincial level or above, 5,426 engineering technology research centers, and 171 academician workstations. It was home to 116 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Significant breakthroughs were achieved in addressing key and core technological challenges. Focusing on technology weak links within key provincial industrial chains such as “industrial mother machines” (machines used to manufacture machines), high-end chips, biomedicine, and high-end medical equipment, support was provided to leading and backbone enterprises in forming innovation consortia, and 59 projects aimed at the engineering application of key and core technologies (equipment) were implemented. In fields like artificial intelligence, quantum communication, biomedicine, frontier materials, and high-end equipment, coordinated efforts were made to advance 89 industrial forward-looking technology R&D projects, and 85 major scientific and technological achievement transformation projects. Targeting at crucial areas including EDA tools, high-end chip design, and packaging and testing, 33 key scientific and technological research projects were organized. Projects such as “high computing power AI chips” and “super-tough carbon fibers” were among the 27 projects to address scientific and technological challenges. The province led the implementation of eight joint R&D projects on key and core technologies in the Yangtze River Delta region, and worked together with the central government to promote special projects on “advanced structural composite materials” and “renewable energy”, alongside actions to enhance the technological innovation capabilities of the integrated circuit industry.
