A forum on the integrated development of the big data industry in the Yangtze River Delta region is held in Shanghai on April 21. [Photo/zgnt.net]

Nantong in Jiangsu province plans to build itself into a big data industrial hub in East China, as the total revenue of relevant industries in the city is expected to surpass 100 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) by 2020.

The announcement was made during a forum held by the Nantong government and the big data sector of the China Information Industry Association in Shanghai on April 21, where government officials, business representatives, and experts discussed how to promote the integrated development of the big data industry in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The city also signed a cooperation agreement with the Shanghai and Jiangsu provincial governments during a forum to promote the development of big data infrastructure and industry in the region.

A Nantong government official delivers a speech on the city’s big data industry at the forum on April 21. [Photo/zgnt.net]

The Nantong Economic and Technological Development Zone has spared no effort in developing the big data industry in recent years, said Shen Hongxing, director of the zone’s administrative office.

The zone has built a big data industrial park covering an area of around 66.7 hectares that focuses on big data applications in finance, medical treatment, industry, and smart cities. A number of internet giants, including Alibaba, Huawei, and ZTE, have set up cloud computing centers in the zone.

The zone will participate in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region and aims to introduce more than 300 big data companies with a combined revenue of more than 30 billion yuan by 2021, according to Shen.

A signing ceremony for a cooperation agreement between the Nantong, Shanghai, and Jiangsu provincial governments takes place during the forum on April 21. [Photo/zgnt.net]