These guidelines have been formulated to thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important directives on the development of the digital economy, earnestly carry out major national strategic deployments and the work requirements of the province and city, and further advance the high-quality development of our city’s digital economy.

I. Promoting the Construction of Digital Infrastructure

(1) Building a Digital Hub City in the Huaihai Economic Zone. Deepen the development of “dual-gigabit” cities, optimize the scale and layout of gigabit optical networks, enhance their coverage capabilities, and promote the formulation of technical specifications for comprehensive fiber-to-the-terminal-unit (FTTR) cabling in new residential and commercial buildings. Continue to build high-quality 5G networks, strengthen deep coverage in high-traffic areas, and support the use of low-frequency networks to achieve full coverage in rural areas.Accelerate the upgrading of information infrastructure in industrial parks (factory premises), and encourage pilot demonstrations such as 5G deep coverage, Optical Distribution Network (ODN) renovation and upgrading, and edge computing network deployment.Support the construction of public city nodes for the National Blockchain Service (BSN), Spark Chain Network nodes, and direct interconnection points with the national Internet backbone. [Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, Xuzhou Telecommunications Administration Office, People’s Governments of all counties (cities, districts), Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xuzhou High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and Xuzhou Huaihai International Port Area Administrative Committee. All subsequent tasks must be implemented by local authorities and will not be listed individually.]

(2) Building the Optimal Industrial Internet Ecosystem in the Huaihai Economic Zone. Support the development of the Huaihai Economic Zone as a hub for identifier resolution applications. In key industrial sectors, encourage leading enterprises to establish secondary nodes for industrial internet identifier resolution. Based on comprehensive evaluation of indicators such as the number of connected enterprises, new registrations, and average daily resolution volume, provide preferential support to secondary nodes that demonstrate effective service delivery to enterprises.Construct a multi-tiered industrial internet platform system and provide support to enterprises recognized as national “cross-industry and cross-domain” (i.e., “double-cross”) platforms or provincial-level industrial internet platforms (industrial e-commerce platforms). Research and formulate “empowerment + drive” industrial internet support measures; support the introduction of leading industrial internet enterprises through approaches such as “one policy per enterprise” and “one policy per industry” to build a hub for industrial internet innovation. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Commerce Bureau)

(3) Ensure Space for Digital Infrastructure Construction. Promote the shared construction and use of telecommunications infrastructure, strengthen the coordinated utilization and openness of public resources, and encourage the free provision of office buildings, green spaces, utility poles, and other resources to comprehensively support the construction of new 5G infrastructure.In new residential areas, commercial buildings, and public structures, reserve installation space for 5G base stations, indoor distribution systems, equipment rooms, and utility conduits. Furthermore, include 5G outdoor base stations, indoor wireless coverage systems, equipment rooms, structural foundations, power supply connections, utility conduit access, and lightning protection and grounding systems within the scope of mandatory building infrastructure. These elements must be planned, designed, constructed, and inspected simultaneously with the buildings themselves to meet the communication infrastructure requirements of multiple telecommunications service providers.(Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Xuzhou Telecommunications Administration Office)

(4) Reduce the operating costs of digital infrastructure. Promote the green and high-quality development of new infrastructure such as data centers and 5G networks; guide computing infrastructure toward intensive, integrated, green, and intelligent development; encourage the use of new, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly cooling and heating technologies to reduce energy consumption; support the use of green renewable energy; and encourage the strengthening of automated and intelligent energy consumption management to improve overall energy efficiency. Promote measures such as switching from indirect to direct power supply and strengthening price supervision in the indirect power supply chain to reduce electricity costs.(Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Market Regulation Bureau, Xuzhou Telecommunications Administration Office, Power Supply Company)

II. Encouraging the Industrialization and Upgrading of the Digital Economy

(5) Promote technological breakthroughs in key areas of the digital economy. Encourage enterprises to collaborate with universities and research institutions to tackle core and key technologies in the digital economy, and provide support in accordance with the “Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for Promoting Scientific and Technological Innovation.” (Responsible Unit: Municipal Science and Technology Bureau)

(6) Support the hosting of major events in the digital economy sector. Encourage and support the hosting of various significant events or innovation competitions with international and domestic influence in areas such as 5G, industrial internet, artificial intelligence, the metaverse, integrated circuits and ICT, big data, and software. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission)

(7) Improve public service platforms for the digital economy. Encourage the development of public service platforms, open-source platforms, or communities in both foundational and cutting-edge sectors of the digital economy. Those recognized by competent authorities at the municipal level or above will receive support in accordance with the "Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors." Support the establishment of national-level digital economy platform projects in Xuzhou. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Market Regulation Bureau, Science and Technology Bureau)

(8) Support the development of artificial intelligence computing power and algorithms. Building upon the full utilization of existing data centers, support the construction of an artificial intelligence computing center in Xuzhou and increase its accessibility to small, medium, and micro enterprises. Explore the establishment of public algorithm pools and algorithm trading marketplaces with diverse operational models; pilot the operation and trading of artificial intelligence algorithms; build intellectual property operation platforms; and facilitate intellectual property transaction channels. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Market Regulation Bureau, Development and Reform Commission)

(9) Support the development of digital enterprises. Encourage enterprises in the electronic information manufacturing and software industries to increase revenue scale, revenue growth, and R&D investment, expand their contribution to the local economy, and actively participate in the formulation of national standards. Software enterprises that obtain Level 3, 4, or 5 certification under the Data Management Capability Maturity Model (DCMM) national standard will be supported in accordance with the “Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors.” (Responsible Unit: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)

(10) Cultivate digital economy industrial clusters. Encourage key parks in the central urban area, as well as economic and technological development zones, high-tech zones, and software parks at all levels, to establish industrial development funds. These funds shall be coordinated by the park management committees for use in digital industry development, concentrating resources to support the construction of major digital economy scientific and technological infrastructure, core technology research and development, industrial chain development, and platform construction within the parks. Support digital economy parks in developing and constructing rooftop distributed photovoltaic systems and exploring demonstration projects for smart microgrids.All parks shall provide preferential support in areas such as internet access, office space, and talent apartments. Leading enterprises are encouraged to establish R&D centers or branches (subsidiaries) in the city’s key parks, and vigorous efforts shall be made to attract projects that meet any of the following criteria: annual tax revenue of 2 million yuan or more, creation of 100 or more jobs, a corporate valuation of 1 billion yuan or more, or actual paid-in capital of 50 million yuan or more.Support the development of specialized digital economy parks (pilot projects); key parks with outstanding operational performance will receive support in accordance with provincial and municipal regulations. Support the construction of national digital service export bases. (Responsible Units: Municipal Digital Office, Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Bureau of Commerce)

(11) Encourage enterprises to establish research centers, technology centers, and other R&D institutions. For enterprises newly recognized as national-level or provincial-level enterprise engineering (technology) research centers or enterprise technology centers, support will be provided in accordance with the “Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for Promoting Scientific and Technological Innovation.” (Responsible Units: Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Development and Reform Commission, Industry and Information Technology Bureau)

(12) Encourage the development of various platforms. Encourage the establishment of national, provincial, and municipal (micro and small enterprise) entrepreneurial and innovation demonstration parks (bases) and public service demonstration platforms for small and medium-sized enterprises. Support will be provided in accordance with the “Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors.” Vigorously support the development of e-commerce platform enterprises, encourage the expansion of online transaction volumes, and provide support in accordance with relevant municipal special fund measures for commercial development. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Commerce Bureau)

(13) Subsidies for First-Time Purchases and Use. Enterprises in the electronic information manufacturing, software and information technology services, and internet and related services sectors that make their first purchase and use of major sets of technical equipment or major innovative products, provided they meet the city’s relevant procurement requirements, shall be supported in accordance with the “Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors.” (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission)

III. Promoting Industrial Digital Transformation

(14) Support for the Digital Transformation of Manufacturing. Manufacturing enterprises are encouraged to undergo digital transformation and actively establish Digital Pioneer Enterprises, National Smart Manufacturing Demonstration Factories (Outstanding Scenarios),Provincial Smart Factories (Internet Benchmark Factories), Municipal Smart (Chain-Leading) Factories, and Municipal Intelligent Transformation Demonstration Projects. Enterprises that obtain Level 3, 4, or 5 certification under the National Standard for the Capability Maturity Model for Intelligent Manufacturing (CMMM) or pass the Level 1, 2, or 3 classification and grading pilot for industrial internet enterprise cybersecurity shall be supported in accordance with the "Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors." (Responsible Unit: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)

(15) Promote the Adoption of Cloud Services by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Establish a resource pool for the industrial internet industry ecosystem to support industrial internet platform providers and service providers in developing low-cost, rapidly deployable industrial internet application service products tailored to the digital, networked, and intelligent upgrading needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. Based on the annual evaluation results of enterprises’ “cloud and platform adoption,” dynamically manage the resource pool and provide support to platform providers and service providers with excellent evaluations in accordance with the “Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors.”(Responsible Unit: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)

(16) Support the digital transformation of the service sector. Encourage service sector enterprises to undergo digital transformation, and conduct annual recognition and certification activities for leading digital enterprises in the service sector.Focus on building online economic application platforms with strong demonstration and leadership capabilities, and carry out the recognition and awarding of plaques for digital service industry-specific platforms. Support the implementation of e-commerce pilot demonstrations, encourage the establishment of national and provincial-level e-commerce demonstration bases, digital commerce enterprises, key enterprises integrating IT outsourcing with manufacturing, and industrial design centers, and provide support in accordance with the "Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors" and relevant municipal-level commercial development special fund regulations. (Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Commerce Bureau)

(17) Support the digital transformation of agriculture. Encourage the development of agricultural and rural big data application scenarios covering the entire province and city, using the “SuNong Cloud” as the foundation. Accelerate the application of digital technologies in areas such as smart agricultural machinery, environmental monitoring, emergency command, quality and safety traceability, digital animal husbandry, digital fisheries, the distribution of agricultural products from rural areas to urban markets, supervision of rural collective assets, and superior germplasm resources.Support the construction of pilot demonstration projects such as online marketing bases for agricultural products, digital vegetable, fruit, and tea production bases, digital livestock and poultry farms, and digital fisheries. Encourage the establishment of national and provincial-level digital rural pilot projects and smart industrial parks to promote the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries and advance the construction of a Beautiful Xuzhou. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Municipal Cyberspace Administration Office)

(18) Support urban digital transformation. Support enterprises of all types involved in urban construction in carrying out digital transformation. Explore the application of technologies such as drone delivery, blockchain, Building Information Modeling (BIM), City Information Modeling (CIM), 5G, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in future urban scenarios to promote the construction of a digital twin city in our municipality.Encourage the development of a batch of demonstration projects that meet relevant national, provincial, and municipal standards. Such projects will be promoted and supported following recommendation by competent authorities at or above the municipal level and expert review and approval by the Municipal Digital Office. (Responsible Units: Municipal Digital Office, Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Big Data Management Center)

(19) Promote the comprehensive opening of digital application scenarios. Focusing on key areas and links in industrial and innovation chains, launch a “challenge-based” initiative for digital economy application scenarios. Select entities or consortia that possess core technologies and strong innovation capabilities to tackle innovation challenges in these scenarios. In fields such as artificial intelligence, 5G, industrial internet, and blockchain, release a batch of key innovation tasks for application scenarios annually. Projects that are successfully implemented following the challenge and subsequent verification will receive support for promotion.(Responsible Units: Municipal Digital Office, Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Big Data Management Center, Government Affairs Office)

(20) Encourage enterprises to establish demonstration projects for the integration of informatization and industrialization.Support applications for national and provincial-level Internet of Things (IoT) application demonstration projects and big data application demonstration projects. Encourage the creation of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) “Single-Champion” enterprises, national-level “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” (“Little Giant”) enterprises, technological innovation demonstration enterprises, brand cultivation demonstration enterprises, application pilot demonstration enterprises, quality benchmark enterprises, provincial-level “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and provincial-level quality benchmark enterprises. Support the development of MIIT, provincial, and municipal innovative demonstration SMEs, management innovation pilot (demonstration) enterprises, service-oriented manufacturing demonstration enterprises (projects, platforms),personalized customization demonstration pilot enterprises, and the construction of manufacturing “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” platforms, with support provided in accordance with the “Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund Management Measures for the Transformation and Upgrading of the Industrial and Information Technology Sectors.” (Responsible Unit: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)

IV. Enhancing Digital Governance Capabilities

(21) Promote Data Openness and Sharing. Deepen the development of the City Brain and Industry Brain initiatives, establish a mechanism for data-sharing responsibility lists, and promote the interconnection and sharing of data resources.Promote the open sharing of data resources in key sectors such as credit, healthcare, and education in accordance with laws and regulations. Facilitate the efficient utilization of data from public services, internet application services, key industries, and cloud computing data centers of large enterprises, and explore the establishment of cross-regional data resource sharing mechanisms. For government and public data that possess economic and social value and are permitted for processing and utilization, encourage more social entities to engage in value-added development and utilization through data openness, licensed development, and authorized applications. (Responsible Units: Municipal Big Data Management Center, Government Affairs Office, Development and Reform Commission)

(22) Promote the Assetization and Valorization of Data. Develop an overall plan for the market-based allocation of data as a production factor and promote the establishment of a digital asset trading center. Support the creation of standardized data utilization scenarios in sectors such as agriculture, industry, transportation, education, public security, urban management, and public resource trading. Leverage the role of industry associations and chambers of commerce to promote standardized data collection in fields such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and the Internet of Things (IoT).(Responsible Units: Municipal Big Data Management Center, Municipal Government Affairs Office, Development and Reform Commission, Market Regulation Bureau, Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Cyberspace Administration Office)

(23) Promote the scientific management of data resources. Explore the establishment of a unified and standardized data management system to improve data quality and compliance. Formulate data privacy protection and security review systems. Promote the improvement of data classification, grading, and security protection systems suitable for big data environments, and strengthen the protection of government data, corporate trade secrets, and personal data. (Responsible Units: Municipal Big Data Management Center, Government Affairs Office, Municipal Cyberspace Administration Office)

V. Strengthening Support for Digital Economy Factors

(24) Strengthen financial support for the digital economy. Leveraging the Xuzhou Municipal Government Investment Fund and state-owned platforms, harness the catalytic and guiding role of fiscal funds and state-owned capital to support counties (cities, districts) and municipal state-owned enterprises in establishing industrial development funds for core digital economy sectors, thereby facilitating the implementation of strategic and pioneering major projects in the digital economy.Encourage angel investment, venture capital, and private equity funds to support investment projects—primarily focused on integrated circuits, new display technologies, optical communications, foundational and industrial software, the metaverse, blockchain, and artificial intelligence—through equity investments. Strengthen research on financial market policies and introduce relevant measures to increase financial support. (Responsible Units: Municipal Finance Bureau, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Development and Reform Commission, Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Local Financial Regulatory Bureau, Xuzhou Municipal Tax Bureau)

(25) Strengthen support for digital economy talent. Support universities, research institutes, leading enterprises, and new R&D institutions in Xuzhou in recruiting “high-end, specialized, and scarce” talent in the digital economy sector; eligible candidates will be prioritized for recommendation into provincial and municipal key talent programs. Support key universities in strengthening the development of emerging disciplines in the digital economy, optimizing the structure of academic programs and faculty allocation, and enhancing the cultivation of interdisciplinary talent.Deepen the integration of industry and education as well as school-enterprise cooperation; establish a number of digital economy industry-education integration alliances and talent training (practical training) bases, with priority support from municipal talent funds. [Responsible Units: Municipal Party Committee Organization Department (Municipal Party Committee Talent Office), Municipal Education Bureau, Science and Technology Bureau, Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Human Resources and Social Security Bureau]

(26) Incentivizing Accelerated Development in the Main Urban Areas. Better leverage the government’s guiding role to encourage localities to take proactive and responsible actions. Pilot incentive programs for localities demonstrating significant achievements in digital economic development in Gulou District, Yunlong District, and Quanshan District, thereby incentivizing the main urban areas to take concrete actions in cultivating core digital economy industries, constructing key industrial parks, and attracting leading enterprises.The Municipal Digital Economy Office, in conjunction with relevant member units, shall assess the completion of various digital economy development targets and tasks. Each year, no less than 60 million yuan in funds shall be allocated to provide subsidies to localities demonstrating outstanding results in practical implementation, with these funds earmarked specifically for supporting industrial development. (Responsible Units: Municipal Digital Economy Office, Finance Bureau; People’s Governments of Gulou District, Yunlong District, and Quanshan District)

(27) Strengthen Publicity, Implementation, and Follow-up. Each lead unit (defined as the department listed first among the responsible departments) shall, in conjunction with the Municipal Finance Bureau, formulate implementation rules, propose specific application procedures, and establish disbursement methods. All responsible units shall strengthen publicity and guidance regarding these specific disbursement methods, and provide personalized services—such as targeted notifications, “apply-and-receive” or “instant-access” mechanisms—to enterprises and projects that meet the disbursement criteria.The Municipal Digital Office shall take the lead in reviewing and evaluating key municipal support projects and shall promptly propose optimization and adjustment recommendations based on implementation progress. The Municipal Finance Bureau shall allocate special funds annually to support the development of the digital economy and establish a mechanism for annual increases, while coordinating the budgeting and management of the municipal digital economy special funds. The Municipal Government Inspection Office shall conduct follow-up inspections on the implementation of these measures. (Responsible Units: Municipal Digital Office, Finance Bureau, and relevant member units)

These guidelines are intended to provide targeted support for the development of our city’s digital economy. They shall take effect upon issuance and remain valid for a provisional period of three years, ending on December 31, 2025. The implementation of these guidelines shall commence in 2022, with applications accepted once annually.In principle, municipal and county (city, district) awards and subsidies shall be capped at the enterprise’s fiscal contribution for the current year. If the same enterprise or project simultaneously meets other eligibility criteria, support shall be provided according to the principle of “selecting the highest amount and avoiding duplication.” Implementation of these guidelines shall follow the current fiscal system; for particularly significant matters, a “case-by-case” approach shall be adopted.