The Municipal Government Information Office held a press conference this morning (November 23). Wu Jincheng, Director of the Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, provided an overview of the “Action Plan for Shanghai to Build a Hub for Future Industry Innovation and Develop and Expand Future Industry Clusters.”Qiu Wenjin, Deputy Director of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission; Sun Zhenrong, Deputy Director of the Municipal Education Commission; Zhang Hongtan, Chief Engineer of the Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology; Chen Hongkai, Second-Level Inspector of the Municipal Science and Technology Commission; and Wu Xiaohua, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of the Lingang New Area, attended the press conference and jointly answered questions from reporters.
To implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on expediting the development of future industries, carry out the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the 12th Municipal Party Congress, strengthen the leading role of high-end industries, and actively explore new avenues for future development, Shanghai has issued the “Action Plan for Building Shanghai into a Hub of Innovation for Future Industries and Developing and Expanding Future Industry Clusters” (hereinafter referred to as the “Action Plan”).
I. Overall Considerations Regarding the Layout of Future Industries
Shanghai’s promotion of future industry development is primarily guided by three considerations: First, implementing national strategic deployments.In accordance with the requirements of the national 14th Five-Year Plan, Shanghai will organize and implement incubation and acceleration programs for future industries, planning and deploying a range of future industries; it will also implement demonstration projects for cross-industry integration to create application scenarios for future technologies. Second, aligning with international cutting-edge technology trends. As global technological and industrial transformations accelerate, focusing on areas such as intelligence, health, and sustainability, Shanghai—leveraging its strengths in industrial innovation—has identified five key directions: Future Health, Future Intelligence, Future Energy, Future Space, and Future Materials.Third, further expanding the scope of the city’s industrial system. If the “3+6” new industrial system represents the “present” of Shanghai’s industrial development, and new sectors such as the digital economy, green and low-carbon development, the metaverse, and smart terminals represent its “future,” then future industries represent the “day after tomorrow.” The convergence and evolution of these fields continuously add new dimensions and inject fresh momentum into Shanghai’s efforts to build a modern industrial system.
In planning the direction of its future industry layout, Shanghai primarily considers five criteria: First, the “cutting-edge” nature of the technology. Future industries are sectors where both technology and markets are still in their nascent stages, requiring the exploration of optimal technological pathways and accelerated development and growth; Second, the “breakthrough” nature of demand. Future industries primarily address future needs and represent humanity’s vision for breakthroughs in information computing, quality of life, resource utilization, and spatial expansion;Third, the “disruptive” nature of their impact: future industries disrupt traditional technological fields and pathways, bringing transformative effects to both productive forces and production relations;Fourth, the “strategic” nature of value: the sectors involved in future industries hold strategic significance in global industrial competition and cooperation, and will promote the establishment of international standards and set industry benchmarks; Fifth, the “explosive” nature of prospects: once future industry technologies mature, they will generate explosive growth in benefits and output, driving widespread positive impacts across the economy, society, and daily life.
II. Main Content of the Action Plan
The Action Plan comprises four sections: General Requirements, Industrial Directions, Major Tasks, and Support Measures, which can be summarized as “1+4+5+6”:
“1” refers to the general requirements. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, coordinate the integration of science and technology with industry, and combine an effective market with an active government. By concentrating resources and fostering development through a rolling approach, we will strive to build a world-class innovation hub for future industries. The goal is to achieve an output value of approximately 500 billion yuan in future industries by 2030.
“4” refers to the achievement of four major development goals. First, building a future hub for independent innovation in core technologies. This involves establishing a Future Industries Research Institute, founding approximately five Future Technology Academies, and cultivating around 15 Future Industries Innovation Centers. Second, building a future engine for industrial cluster development. Focusing on five major future industrial clusters, we will establish approximately 15 Future Industries Pilot Zones, tackle the development of a range of core components, launch a series of high-end products, and establish a set of “Chinese Standards.”Third, we will establish a future model for integrated innovation among large, medium, and small enterprises. We will encourage leading enterprises to expand into future industries, foster ecosystem-driven enterprises, and form a number of innovation consortia. Fourth, we will build a future ecosystem characterized by the aggregation of resources and openness and inclusivity. We will actively participate in major international scientific initiatives and projects, and attract a group of high-level strategic scientists and entrepreneurs.
“5” refers to the development of five major future industry clusters. First, we will build a future health industry cluster.Focusing on public health and well-being, and guided by cutting-edge breakthroughs and clinical applications, we will drive R&D breakthroughs and industrialization in technologies such as brain-computer interfaces, biosafety, synthetic biology, and gene and cell therapies. For example, in the field of brain-computer interfaces, Shanghai is home to research institutions such as the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Fudan University Institute of Brain-Inspired Intelligence Science and Technology. The “minimally invasive implantable high-throughput flexible brain-computer interface technology” developed by Shanghai-based enterprises leads domestic and international peers in the vast majority of performance metrics.Second, building a future intelligent industry cluster. Focusing on the direction of digitalization and intelligent development, and guided by technology innovation and widespread empowerment, we will drive breakthroughs in R&D and industrialization of technologies such as intelligent computing, general AI, extended reality (XR), quantum technology, and 6G, providing a smarter, more reliable, and more integrated technological foundation for the city’s digital transformation. We will leverage platforms such as the Online New Economy Ecological Park and the Digital Transformation Demonstration Zone to facilitate the implementation of future intelligent applications and empower high-quality economic and social development.Third, we will build a future energy industry cluster. Focusing on energy security and sustainable development, and guided by core breakthroughs and pioneering demonstrations, we will drive breakthroughs in R&D and industrialization of technologies such as advanced nuclear energy and new energy storage. For example, in the hydrogen energy sector, we plan to construct approximately 70 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025, establish 3 to 5 world-class innovation and R&D platforms, increase the number of fuel cell vehicles in operation to over 10,000, and expand the hydrogen energy industry chain to a scale exceeding 100 billion yuan.Fourth, we will build a future space industry cluster. Focusing on deep-sea, aerospace utilization, and space exploration, and guided by strategic priorities and the pursuit of pushing boundaries, we will drive breakthroughs in R&D and industrialization of technologies such as deep-sea exploration and extraction, as well as aerospace utilization.For example, leveraging Shanghai’s strengths in the equipment manufacturing sector to develop deep-sea, offshore, and polar vessels and marine engineering equipment; advancing polar equipment such as heavy-duty icebreakers and high-ice-class LNG carriers to serve national strategic needs; and achieving breakthroughs in key flight technologies to develop manned electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, thereby exploring new models of air transportation.Fifth, we will build a future materials industry cluster. Focusing on functional breakthroughs in materials applications and guided by forward-looking planning and demand cultivation, we will drive technological breakthroughs and industrialization in areas such as high-end membrane materials and high-performance composite materials. The focus will be on enhancing the independent design capabilities for the fundamental structures of membrane materials and the self-sufficiency of raw materials, while strengthening the high-performance fiber industrial chain. This will provide foundational and strategic support for smart devices and high-end equipment, empowering the people to lead a better life.
“6” refers to the implementation of six major plans to ensure the successful implementation of the future industries initiative.For example: First, the “Foundation-Building Plan” for future technologies targets original innovation and basic research, strengthening the development of platforms such as the Future Technology Academy and Future Industry Innovation Centers, and improving the global innovation network; Second, the “Pioneering Plan” for future development focuses on the construction of infrastructure and the creation of clusters, planning the establishment of future industry pilot zones, acceleration parks, and test beds to create benchmark demonstration scenarios, driving the transformation of innovation outcomes into real productive capacity so that society as a whole can quickly reap the benefits of technology implementation;Third, the “Hand-in-Hand Plan” for future partners focuses on cultivating key entities and identifying talent, building a tiered innovation ecosystem comprising industry-leading enterprises, innovative companies, and leading teams; Fourth, the “Open-Source Plan” for future scenarios focuses on technology validation and demonstration, implementing cross-sector integration demonstration projects to accelerate the industrialization of R&D;Fifth, the “Wild Goose Formation Plan” for future talent focuses on gathering talent as the primary resource, integrating various innovation platforms, and launching global “challenge-based recruitment” initiatives to help all types of talent realize their innovation dreams in Shanghai; Sixth, the “Rainforest Plan” for future ecosystems focuses on the high-quality supply of development factors, optimizing a development ecosystem characterized by “five strengths and no shortages,” and providing supportive policies and collaborative platforms for the development of future industries.
The report of the 20th CPC National Congress emphasized the need to open up new fields and avenues for development, continuously shaping new drivers and advantages for growth. The Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization and other relevant agencies will translate the study and implementation of the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress into concrete actions to advance the development of future industries. In accordance with the deployment and requirements of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, they will establish and improve working mechanisms for future industry development, focus on organizing the implementation of the Action Plan, promote coordination among the municipal, district, and development zone (specialized park) levels, and pool the collective strength of all parties to jointly open up a new chapter in the development of Shanghai’s future industries.
