Original Title: Notice on Issuing the "Guidelines on Further Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Artificial Intelligence Industry in Xuhui District"
To implement the "Development Plan for the New Generation of Artificial Intelligence" (State Council Document [2017] No. 35), the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Development of the New Generation of Artificial Intelligence in Shanghai" (Shanghai Municipal Government Office Document [2017] No. 66),and the “Implementation Opinions of Xuhui District on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of Artificial Intelligence Industrial Clusters” (Xufu Ban Fa [2020] No. 12), and to further promote the high-quality development of the artificial intelligence industry in Xuhui District, we aim to basically establish a core area of the Shanghai AI Hub with global influence by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. We will build Xuhui into an “industrial hub,” ““innovation hub,” “empowerment demonstration zone,” and “ecosystem hub” for high-quality AI development, and to build a 100-billion-yuan digital economy industrial cluster centered on AI, thereby providing strong support for Xuhui District to establish the “Science and Technology Innovation Embroidery Belt” brand, these Opinions are hereby formulated.
Article 1 (Scope of Application)
These Guidelines apply to enterprises, public institutions, or private non-enterprise entities registered in the District, or relevant entities whose primary innovation activities are conducted in Xuhui District, as well as other entities approved by the District Government for support; the aforementioned entities must be in normal operation, have a good credit record, and meet the eligibility criteria for policy applications.
Article 2 (Building an AI-Led Industrial Hub)
With the Caohejing Industrial Innovation Growth Pole and the West Bund Digital Intelligence Valley Industrial Agglomeration Growth Pole serving as the “two poles,” and the Xuhui Riverside High-Quality AI Development Belt andand the Caohejing-Huajing High-Quality AI Innovation Corridor as the “two corridors,” to establish Xuhui District’s “Two Poles and Two Corridors” new development pattern for AI. This initiative aims to accelerate the clustering of high-quality enterprises, support the growth and expansion of enterprises at all stages, deploy industrial public service platforms, and build an “industrial cluster” for high-quality AI development.
(1) Encouraging High-Quality AI Enterprises to Settle in the District. The focus will be on attracting high-quality enterprises in the AI sector—including innovative and technologically leading companies with international competitiveness and industry leadership—to accelerate the formation of vertical industrial clusters and a regional industrial ecosystem. For newly registered or relocated enterprises that align with the district’s AI industry development priorities, those with paid-in capital of 20 million yuan or more may, upon approval, receive a one-time reward of up to 5% of their paid-in capital, not exceeding 5 million yuan;For enterprises that make significant contributions to the region and demonstrate strong industrial driving force after commencing actual operations in the district, a subsidy of up to 15 million yuan may be granted for costs such as business establishment and office space, subject to verification. For newly registered or relocated enterprises, comprehensive support lasting up to five years may be provided based on their benefits to the district’s economic and social development, primarily for equipment procurement, product R&D, business innovation and development, and team building.
(2) Supporting the Growth and Expansion of Enterprises in the Artificial Intelligence Sector. Enterprises whose annual main business revenue exceeds 200 million yuan, 1 billion yuan, or 3 billion yuan for the first time, and which have achieved an average annual growth rate of 15% (inclusive) or higher in main business revenue over the past two years, or whose R&D expenditure accounted for 5% (inclusive) or more of total revenue in the previous year, may be granted one-time rewards of up to 1 million yuan, 3 million yuan, or 5 million yuan, respectively, based on the principle of tiered compensation.
(3) Support the construction of public service platforms for the AI industry. Support relevant entities in the AI sector to establish public service platforms. Those that play a prominent supporting and driving role in the clustering of AI enterprises and the enhancement of regional industrial capabilities may, upon comprehensive evaluation, receive an annual subsidy of up to 2 million yuan.
Article 3 (Building a Hub for Independent AI Innovation)
Leveraging Xuhui District’s advantages in the concentration of science and technology innovation resources, we will continuously enhance the level of innovation origination in the AI field, promote improvements in intellectual property quality, and encourage local entities to increase their influence and market competitiveness both domestically and internationally, thereby building an AI “innovation hub” with international influence.
(4) Support research and development of key technologies in the AI field. Innovative enterprises and technology-leading enterprises are encouraged to increase R&D investment and conduct research and development in key core areas such as core algorithms, foundational software, and AI chips.During the R&D process, enterprises that procure necessary supporting services for chip development—such as EDA design tools (including software upgrade fees) and testing and verification services—may receive a subsidy of up to 50% of actual expenses, not exceeding 2 million yuan; those procuring computing power resources may receive a subsidy of up to 30% of actual expenses, not exceeding 5 million yuan.
(5) Support industrial chain collaboration in the AI sector. Support AI enterprises within the region in conducting joint R&D, capacity cooperation, and supply chain coordination in accordance with the law, empowering various industries through the provision of hardware and software products and integrated services. For enterprises purchasing products and production-related services developed or manufactured by unrelated enterprises, an annual subsidy of up to 10% of the actual invoice amount, not exceeding 3 million yuan, may be provided.
(6) Support for Improving the Quality of Intellectual Property in the AI Sector. Support enterprises in the AI sector to lead or participate in the formulation and revision of international and national AI standards, and promote international exchange and cooperation on standards. Strengthen the promotion and implementation of standards, support the development of pilot and demonstration projects for standardization in the AI sector, and promote the large-scale application of standards. Support enterprises in the AI sector to build high-value patent portfolios and expand their patent portfolios overseas, focusing on core technologies and key links in the industrial chain.
Article 4 (Building an AI-Empowered Demonstration Zone)
We will continue to promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and the industrialization of AI. Xuhui District will serve as a centralized “testing ground” for the latest AI advancements. Aligning with current socio-economic development needs, we will promote the demonstration and application of AI technologies to comprehensively drive the digital transformation of all economic sectors, citizens’ daily lives, and social governance, thereby establishing a “demonstration zone for AI-driven high-quality development.”
(7) Encourage Demonstrative Applications of AI Technology. Support AI enterprises in proactively developing and enriching application scenarios to comprehensively empower the city’s digital transformation. Solicit AI technology needs and scenario development objectives from the public, and support various entities in leveraging their respective resource advantages to collaboratively build solutions.AI enterprises are encouraged to collaborate with key enterprises across various industries to establish a repository of technologies, products, and solutions tailored to specific industry sectors and typical application scenarios. For technology application and scenario development projects that demonstrate industry-leading and exemplary effects, subsidies of up to 3 million yuan may be provided following a comprehensive evaluation.
(8) Encourage AI enterprises to explore new growth areas. Support AI enterprises in expanding into new industrial sectors such as the metaverse, actively participating in capacity building for key components including metaverse infrastructure, interactive terminals, intelligent computing, software tools, and platform ecosystems. Explore the production of metaverse content and the development of application scenarios in fields such as social consumption, education and healthcare, culture and sports, and government administration to establish the Xuhui metaverse development brand.For projects receiving municipal funding support, if higher-level authorities have specific matching requirements, those requirements shall apply; if no explicit requirements exist, following a comprehensive evaluation, matching support may be provided at a ratio of up to 1:1.
Article 5 (Building a Hub for the AI Industry Ecosystem)
Optimize the development environment for the artificial intelligence industry in Xuhui District, establish a multi-tiered talent support system and a multi-channel funding mechanism, and jointly build an “ecosystem hub” for the high-quality development of artificial intelligence.
(9) Improve the talent support system in the AI sector. Focus on key aspects such as talent recruitment, training, and incentives in the AI sector, providing support in areas such as temporary housing for talent and rewards for scientific and technological personnel, and actively building Xuhui District into a hub for AI talent characterized by high intellectual density, high innovation activity, and high service convenience.
(10) Implement Investment and Financing Support for AI Enterprises. Establish a financial support system where direct and indirect financing complement each other, covering the entire development chain of the AI industry. Encourage private capital to establish specialized investment funds for the AI industry. Cultivate a group of listed and publicly traded companies capable of driving the development of the regional AI industry.
(11) Strengthen international exchange and cooperation in the AI field. Attract global industry organizations such as AI alliances and associations. In conjunction with major municipal-level events such as the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, support the introduction and cultivation of industry forums, academic conferences, exhibitions, and major competitions with broad influence in the AI field, and build high-end, professional AI event brands.
Article 6 (Supplementary Provisions)
(1) During the period of eligibility for the policies outlined in this Opinion, if an entity is simultaneously eligible for other similar policies in this district, the “higher-value, non-duplicative” principle shall apply. Should new policies be issued by the central government or the Shanghai Municipal Government during implementation, such new policies shall take precedence.
(2) For acts such as fraudulently obtaining support funds or arbitrarily altering the intended use of funds, the recipient will be held accountable, and any disbursed support funds will be recovered. Such cases will also be recorded in the Public Credit Information Data Platform in accordance with relevant municipal regulations. For recipients found to have violated relevant laws and regulations, their eligibility to apply for support funds will be revoked for a certain period, depending on the severity of the offense.
(3) The District Science and Technology Commission, in conjunction with relevant departments, shall be responsible for interpreting these guidelines.
(4) These guidelines shall take effect on October 16, 2022, and remain valid until December 31, 2025. All types of innovation entities newly registered during this period shall comply with these guidelines. Innovation entities that were receiving support under the previous policy prior to the implementation of these guidelines shall continue to be governed by the District’s original policy until the expiration of that policy.
