Guest
Chen Yi
Interview Background
The year 2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. At this new stage of development, how will Jing'an anchor itself to the goal of "International Jing'an: An Outstanding Urban Area" and take the lead in contributing to Shanghai's "Five Centers" initiative?
Host:
The year 2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. At this new stage of development, how will Jing'an anchor itself to the goal of "International Jing'an: An Outstanding Urban Area" and take the lead in contributing to Shanghai's "Five Centers" initiative? For this interview, we have invited two distinguished guests: Chen Yi, Deputy Director of the Science, Technology and Economy Commission of Jing'an District, and He Renlong, Chief Expert of Shanghai Academy of Next Generation Information and Communications Technology. They will engage in an in-depth dialogue on topics such as the overall positioning of sci-tech innovation in the 15th Five-Year Plan, accelerating the development of industrial sectors, promoting artificial intelligence to empower thousands of industries, enhancing the capacity for original sci-tech innovation, optimizing the sci-tech innovation ecosystem, and improving the layout of sci-tech innovation space.
Chen Yi:
Hello, host. Hello, everyone.
He Renlong:
Hello, host. Hello, everyone.
Host:
For the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Jing'an will deeply grasp the trends of the new round of global scientific, technological and industrial revolution, closely align with national strategies and Shanghai's overall development, leverage sci-tech innovation to lead the growth of new quality productive forces, and anchor itself to the goal of building a key supporting area of the Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) International Science and Technology Innovation Center. Could you share with us how this sci-tech innovation engine can be fine-tuned to deliver greater impact? From the groundwork laid during the 14th Five-Year Plan to the leap-forward development in the 15th Five-Year Plan, with the goal of building a key supporting area for the Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) International Sci-tech Innovation Center, how should Jing'an District identify its core focus for development?
Chen Yi:
Certainly. In terms of enhancing the capacity for original sci-tech innovation, based on the district's resource endowments and existing industrial foundation, Jing'an will keenly grasp cutting-edge technology trends, continue to focus on emerging industries such as data intelligence and life health, as well as distinctive tracks including blockchain, ultra-high-definition audio-visual, and municipal-district collaborative beauty and health sectors. Jing'an will build high-level innovation platforms and forge a seamless innovation chain from basic research and key technology breakthroughs to achievement transformation, incubation, and cultivation. At the same time, Jing'an will vigorously attract and nurture new R&D institutions led by sci-tech leading talents and hardcore technology-based enterprises, support enterprises to carry out key technology R&D in high-potential and high-barrier fields, and improve the cultivation system for innovative enterprises. In terms of building an integrated innovation ecosystem, Jing'an will give full play to its advantages of clustered leading enterprises, vibrant business districts, advanced service economy, and profound cultural heritage. It will further implement three major initiatives, namely fashion consumption innovation, culture and creativity + technology, and AI +, and empower the early implementation of sci-tech innovation achievements through diverse scenarios across the district. It will launch the Innovation Partner Program for Chain Leading Enterprises to build an integrated innovation ecosystem for large, medium, and small enterprises. It will develop a matrix of Jing'an sci-tech innovation talents, expand capital layout, and improve the circulation and trading system for data elements. It will optimize the layout of innovation and entrepreneurship carriers, and foster a sound environment that encourages innovation and tolerates failure.
Host:
In the (3+3)+(1+3+X) modern industrial system, how can we leverage the resource endowments of Jing'an District to promote the clustered development of emerging industries and distinctive tracks?
Chen Yi:
First of all, we need to boost development drivers and promote the quality improvement of the three emerging industries. We should strengthen the innovative leadership of the data intelligence industry, accelerate the integrated upgrading and in-depth integration of "cloud, data, intelligence and blockchain", strengthen such sub-sectors as industrial software and data elements services, and expand new tracks such as embodied intelligence and scientific intelligence. We should accelerate the development of the cultural and creative industry and build a highland for the esports ecosystem and new scenarios for technology-integrated performances. We should continue to expand the life and health industry, actively deploy in fields such as innovative drugs and medical devices, AI + healthcare, and elderly care technology, attract foreign-funded headquarters to set up R&D divisions, and build an integrated ecological pattern of R&D innovation and industrial services. Second, we need to focus on core strengths and accelerate the cultivation of distinctive industrial sectors and future industries. We should promote the innovative development of the blockchain industry track and advance the implementation of blockchain applications in such fields as supply chain trade, healthcare, and green low-carbon development. We should promote the clustered development of the ultra-high-definition audio-visual industry track. Relying on core carriers such as the "Audio-Visual Realm of Jing'an" π Space and Meta Space, we should focus on content creation and technology origination to build an industrial functional platform and accelerate the establishment of an industrial development pattern featuring "one body with two wings" and collaborative linkage. Besides, we should promote the accelerated development of the beauty and health industry track, strengthen the inter-district collaboration mechanism, expand the "Nova Beauty Tech" beauty and health innovation eco-community, leverage resources from the West Nanjing Road Business District, and deepen the integrated layout of "beauty technology + clinical translation + debut economy". We should make forward-looking arrangements for future industry tracks and seize commanding heights in cutting-edge fields such as blockchain-based future networks, 6G+AI communications, brain-computer interfaces, precision medicine, low-altitude economy, new energy storage, and quantum technology.
He Renlong:
Jing'an will further enhance the level of emerging industries, strengthen distinctive industrial sectors, make forward-looking arrangements for future industries, and build a sci-tech innovation-driven industrial system with Jing'an's distinctive identity.
Host:
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Jing'an will focus on the in-depth integration of commerce, culture, creativity, and technology, with the "AI+" initiative as a key driver. Could you please introduce how the benchmark scenarios of "AI+" will be put into practice and how the "AI Application Scenario Promotion Center" will bridge the "last mile" between technology supply and industry demand?
Chen Yi:
We will advance integrated development to empower thousands of industries with AI. We will further implement the "AI+" initiative and strive to build a demonstration zone for AI innovation and application. In addition, we will deepen application and innovation in our advantageous industries such as commerce and consumption, and audio-visual content, and develop several benchmark agent application projects in fields like industrial development, social governance, and public services. We will launch special initiatives such as "Fashion Consumption Innovation" and "Cultural Creativity + Technology", vigorously develop sci-tech innovation business formats derived from high-end services, create experiential consumption scenarios featuring "Cultural Immersion + Technological Interaction", and develop immersive performances and cultural tourism IPs. We will promote the in-depth application of technologies such as AIGC and AR/VR in content creation, intelligent design, and other fields to empower new business formats such as digital content and intelligent cultural and creative products. We will build a bridge between scenario supply and demand to empower the intelligent upgrading of industries across the board. Relying on the AI Application Scenario Promotion Center, we will follow a scenario-driven, demand-oriented, and implementation-focused approach, build four core platforms for scenario exploration and release, supply-demand matching, verification and incubation, and demonstration and promotion, and establish a full-chain service system of "demand - matching - verification - promotion". We will build a connection bridge through themed seminars, special roadshows, and other forms, pool multi-party resources to provide full-cycle incubation services, select benchmark cases to promote industry popularization, and facilitate the large-scale application of AI technologies across various industries.
He Renlong:
Scenarios drive innovation in AI applications, and industries enable the practical application of technological achievements.
Host:
Exactly. Thanks for sharing that. At present, the paradigm of sci-tech innovation is undergoing profound changes, and urban sci-tech innovation is following new evolutionary patterns. Looking toward the 15th Five-Year Plan period, to build a sci-tech innovation ecosystem featuring "high concentration, deep integration, and strong linkage", how can Jing'an's high-quality innovation resources be connected and transformed? How will various sci-tech innovation platforms and carriers be built and operated, and how can the headquarters R&D and innovation business segments truly take root in Jing'an?
Chen Yi:
We need to connect with scientific research forces and introduce high-standard innovation functional platforms. To be specific, we will improve the industry-university-research cooperation mechanism, proactively connect with the innovation resources of universities and research institutes to deepen strategic cooperation, actively introduce various innovation functional platforms focusing on key industrial sectors, and smooth the connection channel between universities and the market. At present, Jing'an has launched projects such as the Fudan International Sci-tech Innovation Talent Community and the Future Ultra-High-Definition Technologies International Innovation Center. It has also collaborated with Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University and Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital to successfully build achievement transformation platforms in fields like beauty and health and brain-computer interfaces. We will revitalize resources within Jing'an and build high-level innovation ecosystem platforms. Based on the Innovation Partner Program for Chain Leading Enterprises, we will encourage central and local state-owned enterprises (SOEs), headquarters of multinational corporations to establish open innovation platforms for large enterprises, and promote models such as "shared ecosystem + vertical integration" and "fund + innovation center + incubation". We will support the functional upgrading of regional headquarters of multinational corporations and guide single-function headquarters to transform into integrated headquarters. It is learned that L'Oréal's China R&D Center has been upgraded to a global R&D center, and Sanofi has launched a strategic upgrading plan for its R&D center in China.
He Renlong:
We will focus on distinctive tracks and build high-quality innovation service platforms. By focusing on emerging industries and distinctive tracks, we will accelerate the cultivation of a number of high-quality incubators. In the Shibei and Daning functional zones, we will actively establish cutting-edge technology projects and transformation platforms in areas such as new energy storage, future display, and quantum technology. At present, the Blockchain Valley Innovation Application Incubator has been included in the new round of municipal-level high-quality incubators. The Ultra-High-Definition Pilot Test Platform of E-surfing Digital Life and the Pilot Test Platform for Sci-tech Innovation Application and Safety Efficacy Verification of Skin Care Products have been successfully selected into the reserve list of pilot test platforms of Shanghai.
Host:
How should various factors such as talent, capital, data, and computing power be allocated? How does Jing'an District promote innovation factors to gather momentum and empower industrial development?
Chen Yi:
Talent is the primary resource and the main driving force for sci-tech innovation; capital is an important guarantee for innovation; and data and computing power are key factors for the development of AI. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Jing'an will improve the supporting system for sci-tech innovation factors, build a magnetic field for high-end innovation factors in Jing'an, and promote the efficient allocation of resource factors to the front line of innovation. Special talent programs will be implemented to attract and cultivate sci-tech innovation partners rooted in Jing'an.
He Renlong:
We will promote the landing of new R&D institutions featuring the "scientist + entrepreneur" model in Jing'an. Combining the needs of enterprises in Jing'an with the disciplinary strengths of universities, we will form a high-level talent cultivation mechanism with deep integration of industry, university, and research. We will endow enterprises with more rights to recommend and identify talents, and explore and implement market-oriented talent project selection mechanisms such as "replacement of evaluation with competitions" and "replacement of evaluation with investment". Flexible talent introduction mechanisms such as project cooperation, consulting and demonstration, technology-based shareholding, and cooperative operation will be improved.
Chen Yi:
We will gather new-type patient capital and deepen the practice of in-depth integration of technology, industry, and finance. By strengthening the investment function of state-owned assets owned by the district, we will explore and implement reforms such as "conversion of appropriations into investments" and "investment first, shareholding later", and focus on early-stage, small-scale, and hard-tech investments. We will improve the industrial guidance fund system, set up special funds for key industries, distinctive tracks, and future industries, collaborate with high-level venture capital institutions, and introduce high-level sci-tech innovation projects through the linkage of investment and attraction. We will innovate sci-tech financial service models, support leading enterprises in establishing various funds such as corporate venture capital, develop the "incubation-investment linkage" and "investment-loan linkage" models, and promote new tools such as intellectual property pledge, computing power mortgage, and sci-tech insurance. We will deploy intelligent computing infrastructure to unleash the multiplier effect of data empowerment. We will accelerate the deployment of advanced computing power facilities such as high-performance intelligent computing clusters and kilo-card level GPU clusters. We will support the development of service platforms such as AI4S and public intelligent computing. By strengthening the circulation and application of data elements, we will develop a number of high-quality and large-scale public datasets and form a scenario-based standardized public data supply model. We will deepen the development of the "Jing'an Data Space" Collaborative Innovation Platform. We will implement the "Data Element ×" initiative to support the development and compliant trading of high-quality datasets.
Host:
Thanks for sharing that. Next, let's focus on the layout of sci-tech innovation carriers across the district. How should it be optimized? How can the existing office buildings and industrial parks in Jing'an District leverage urban renewal to achieve iteration and upgrading?
Chen Yi:
We will strengthen collaboration between the northern and southern parts of the district and optimize the industrial innovation layout of functional zones. Shibei International Sci-tech Innovation Community continues to consolidate its development pattern featuring "data empowerment, headquarters capacity enhancement, and sci-tech innovation-driven vitality release". Relying on the Blockchain Valley, it deepens the construction of the National Blockchain Application Demonstration Zone; relying on the Jing'an International Sci-tech Innovation Community, it strengthens the "Audio-Visual Realm of Jing'an · Meta Space" as the source of ultra-high-definition audio-visual technologies. It coordinates the overall renewal and functional transformation of the Zoumatang area. The Daning Production-Life-Ecology Integrated Innovation Zone adheres to the integrated development path of "sci-tech innovation + cultural innovation" and "R&D + transformation". Relying on the "Audio-Visual Realm of Jing'an · π Space" as an innovative hub for ultra-high-definition audio-visual applications, it develops the AI ultra-high-definition audio-visual content creation industry. Relying on "Nova Beauty Tech", it joins hands with leading hospitals, head enterprises in biomedicine and cosmetics, as well as beauty funds to build a complete industrial chain for the beauty and health industry covering "R&D, transformation, and market". West Nanjing Road‒Suzhou Creek Bay Central Vitality Zone is actively building a highland for technology application demonstration, continuously advancing the development of the Shanghai Demonstration Zone for Sci-tech Service Industry, promoting the accelerated digital and intelligent transformation of advantageous industries such as professional services and human resources, expanding into sub-sectors including financial technology and green low-carbon industries, vigorously deploying headquarters R&D centers, and innovatively developing life technologies such as AI drug research and development.
Chen Yi:
We will revitalize stock resources and build high-quality characteristic buildings and industrial parks. We will guide building operators to optimize the leasing structure in accordance with industrial plans and functional positioning, strictly control the industrial orientation of introduced projects, build an industrial collaboration mechanism featuring "upstairs and downstairs being upstream and downstream", and develop a batch of characteristic benchmark buildings. We will carry out the special action of "acquiring a batch, renovating a batch, and upgrading a batch" for industrial parks, give play to the role of "ecological gardeners", and promote the transformation and upgrading of industrial parks. Centering on industrial development orientations and spatial characteristic demands, we will actively bring in sci-tech innovation industrial projects and functional platforms, develop a batch of characteristic industrial agglomeration demonstration zones, plan themed ecological communities or OPC exclusive spaces, and build low-cost, full-factor carriers for innovation and entrepreneurship. We will promote urban renewal and develop sci-tech innovation communities and intelligent manufacturing spaces. We will advance the iterative upgrading of building clusters, industrial spaces, and sci-tech innovation carriers along the Zoumatang River. We will popularize the mature experience of transforming old factory buildings into sci-tech innovation shared spaces, adopt progressive renewal strategies such as office zones for sci-tech innovation enterprises and open technical exhibition spaces, and revitalize stock spaces in an orderly manner. Besides, we will promote traditional commercial spaces and idle office resources to release new low-cost, high-efficiency sci-tech innovation incubation carriers, integrate the development of sci-tech innovation spaces and incubation spaces, and build innovation and entrepreneurship communities adapted to the development of emerging business formats like OPC. We will make good use of industrial land policy tools, explore the "industrial buildings going upward" model in light of local conditions, and develop "intelligent manufacturing spaces" to accommodate light manufacturing such as AI hardware, biomedicine, and cultural and creative crafts.
He Renlong:
Jing'an will uphold the holistic planning concept for the entire district's space, rely on the spatial layout of "Two Developmental Axes with One Gathering Zone and Three Areas", combine urban renewal, continuously revitalize stock resources, and improve the diversified layout of sci-tech innovation carriers in Jing'an.
Host:
Thank you both for your insightful sharing. That brings our interview to a close today! Thank you.
Chen Yi:
Thank you, everyone! Goodbye!
He Renlong:
Thank you, everyone! Goodbye!