2. Jiangyin Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone

Jiangyin Hi-tech Development Zone, established in 1992, was upgraded to a national-level hi-tech zone by the State Council in 2011, making it the second of its kind in a county-level city in China.

The zone has maintained an innovation-driven strategy, and implemented measures to accelerate the upgrading of its traditional industries and promote the industrialization of its scientific and technological innovations since the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010).

Investment in R&D accounted for 3 percent of the zone's GDP, and more than 90 percent of key enterprises in the zone set up their own R&D institutions during those five years. Industries in new metal materials, electronic information and precision machinery underwent fast development due to sustainable innovations. The value added of the hi-tech industries accounted for over 62 percent of the total value added created by enterprises in the zone with annual industrial output value above 20 million yuan.

The zone founded the country's first cooperative innovation alliance for technology, talent and capital in 2010, with the aim of providing loans, venture capital and financial support for innovation and entrepreneurship projects. It also built up various kinds of accelerators or incubators to promote its development of hi-tech industries.

Jiangyin, which is renowned for being the No 1 county of China's manufacturing industry, is one of the birthplaces of national modern industries and enterprises, and has a strong industrial foundation for business. Its economic development and competitiveness has ranked first of all counties in the country for 15 consecutive years.

In 2016, the zone's GDP reached 75.22 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.58 percent; its industrial value added totaled 156.88 billion yuan, increasing 6.53 percent over the previous year; the received registered foreign capital totaled 603 million dollars, a year-on-year increase of 6.53 percent. In 2017, the industrial output value of hi-tech industries made up 48.6 percent of the zone's GDP.

Jiangyin Hi-tech Development Zone. [Photo/yicai.com]