Lin-gang Special Area to see output of pioneering sectors reach $14b

Lin-gang Special Area, the part of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone launched in 2019, will see the combined annual output of major pioneering industries of healthcare, intelligent production, energy and aerospace amounting to 100 billion yuan ($13.88 billion) by 2030, according to Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization.

The above data was released during a news conference held on Thursday, which marked the one-year anniversary of the pioneering industrial zone in Lin-gang.

According to the commission, mapping in the intelligent wearable industrial chain will be part of Lin-gang's efforts to develop intelligent production. Robots, intelligent computing and software are also integral to Lin-gang's target of building intelligent industrial clusters. Meanwhile, a pioneering innovation zone featuring intelligent connected vehicles should be built in Lin-gang in 2025, which will be the first of its kind in China.

Energy storage companies along the industrial chain should be another highlight of Lin-gang, especially given that the Tesla's 40GWh energy storage project will be put into use by the end of this year.

An integrated hydrogen production and refueling station will be built in Lin-gang while the development of small-scale wind power hydrogen production in tidal flats will be promoted, which are part of Lin-gang's efforts to build a demonstration zone of green and low-carbon transition.

Lin-gang will also accelerate the mapping in gene and cell therapy, antibody drugs, synthetic biology, brain-computer interface, artificial intelligence assistance and high-end medical imaging. More local healthcare companies should be nurtured by better using the innovation hubs and industry accelerators in Lin-gang.

By integrating research and development, manufacturing and services, the industry scale of high-value consumables, in vitro diagnostics, imaging equipment, biological macromolecule drugs, small molecule chemical drugs and other subdivisions should be further expanded, according to the authorities.

As to the aerospace sector, the mass production of domestic large aircraft should be advanced while the final assembly and fuselage structure companies should be introduced in nearby areas. The development and testing of airborne systems should start in Lin-gang. Meanwhile, Lin-gang should also strive to build a base for the intelligent and standardized mass production of satellites.

For companies based in Lin-gang with a respective annual sales revenue of at least 20 million yuan, their total industrial output surged 22.5 percent year-on-year to 433.3 billion yuan in 2023, according to official data. The total fixed asset investment reached 146.2 billion yuan in 2023, up 10.3 percent from a year earlier.

A total of 109 frontier industry projects, including Tesla's energy storage project and Boston Scientific's medical device production base, was introduced in Lin-gang last year, with the total investment value approaching 100.8 billion yuan.