"Heating up" Innovation and Development in Yangpu January 20,2025

"Revenues grew by 13.6% year on year from January to November, ranking fourth in the city; the total scale reached 290.8 billion yuan, ranking second in the city, representing about one fifth of the city's total and one third of the central urban areas' total..." These figures in this year's government work report reflect the robust growth and dynamism of Yangpu's digital economy.

In 2024, Yangpu continuously enhanced the connotation of the "warmest district" brand in terms of the business environment. In 2025, it will roll out the 8.0 version of the business environment reform plan. How does Yangpu "heat up" innovation and development? How can Yangpu build a warm "business constellation"? Amid the cold wave, let's delve into Yangpu's "warm and new stories".

How does Yangpu "heat up" innovation and development?

1."Exclusive" - Injecting "Financial Liquidity" to Make Key Industries Thrive

Industrial relics have been transformed into a string of pearls, and high-rise buildings are emerging from the ground...Today, the revitalized Yangpu Riverside is not only a popular cultural and tourism destination for citizens and tourists but also a hub for innovative enterprises.

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As planned, leading internet companies and renowned central enterprises like Meituan, Bilibili, and CECEP will gradually establish their presence in Yangpu Riverside. In the near future, an increasing number of talents and resources will be drawn ceaselessly to Yangpu," said Qian Liang, Deputy Party Secretary of Yangpu Riverside Investment & Development Group, at the recent Changyang Campus Entrepreneur Forum 2024.

The exclusive financial policies for Changyang Campus Online New Economy Eco-Park were released at the forum. These policies serve as a response to the persistent efforts and anticipation of entrepreneurs and represent a significant step forward in the implementation and enhancement of Yangpu's strategic development plan for the online new economy.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Yangpu Sub-branch has tailored exclusive financial support policies for the tech startups within the eco-park. These include featured products like credit loans for micro and small enterprises and innovative guarantee loans, which are designed to ease the financial burden and expedite the funding process for these companies.

More than 60 companies, including Meituan, Bilibili, MS Energy Storage, and Holovis, attended the entrepreneur forum.

In February 2024, the Yangpu area of China (Shanghai) Network Audio-Visual Industry Base was inaugurated. As a company that has grown up with Yangpu Riverside, Holovis has been deeply involved in world-renowned large theme park projects such as Universal Studios, Ferrari World and Legoland.

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MS Energy Storage has been dedicated to the R&D of flow batteries and large-scale intelligent manufacturing. The Sino-Français Zéro Carbone Concert, held in a former coal ash silo of a thermal power plant, drew considerable attention by juxtaposing "thermal power" with "zero-carbon" concepts. The company's zinc-iron flow battery energy storage project uses photovoltaic panels and zinc-iron flow batteries to convert solar energy into electricity, which is then stored and supplied to nearby facilities like cafes, charging stations, and landscape lighting, providing stable and green power.

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Qian added that the group will use the development of Changyang Campus Online New Economy Eco-Park as an opportunity to build an interactive platform, constantly enhance services, support business growth, and open up a new prospect for win-win, aiming to establish a new highland for the digital economy and promote local high-quality development.

2."Inclusive" - Yangpu's "Club" Regularly Launches Innovative Products to Deliver Substantial Value

Recently, the Shanghai Inclusive Finance Advisor Series on Financing Connectivity - Digital Economy & Fourth Season of the Yangpu Technology Finance Club took place at Yangpu Riverside.

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To tackle common challenges faced by micro and small businesses, such as high rental costs and capital turnover difficulties, Yangpu partnered with Bank of Ningbo Shanghai Branch to launch the first "rent loan" financial product. This product targets enterprises in Yangpu, providing interest-free credit lines based on lease contracts between tenants and landlords. Credit lines are designated for rent payments and are typically 3 to 6 times the monthly rent amount. Based on enterprises' qualifications, they may enjoy full interest exemption. Additionally, a tailored empowerment plan for digital economy enterprises in Yangpu was introduced, offering a comprehensive "14+2" service system, including credit repair, public opinion management, smart utilities, and labor subsidies.

The Shanghai Inclusive Finance Advisor System aims to streamline service channels, ensuring direct access to financial policies and services for enterprises. It pools resources from various financial institutions in Shanghai to provide professional consulting services such as financial diagnosis, financing planning, and pre-listing tutoring, promoting precise alignment between financial services and the real economy.

The Technology Finance Club, a key technology innovation brand in Yangpu, regularly introduces innovative products and services. It offers one-stop solutions for enterprises, including policy analysis, pre-listing tutoring, and investment & financing support, to continuously drive the integrated development of technological innovation and industrial innovation. In recent years, Yangpu has been a pioneer in the field of science and technology financial services. It has actively explored the integration of technology and finance to address the financing needs of enterprises at various stages of development and across different industries. This has resulted in a technology finance service system with distinct Yangpu features.

According to Li Zhengming, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Yangpu Science, Technology and Economy Commission, Yangpu will stay focused on the latest trends in regional industrial development. It will organize a variety of financial market matchmaking activities, introduce inclusive finance and capital market services to the grassroots level, and continuously enhance the platforms for precise alignment between industry and finance. These efforts are aimed at promoting high-quality regional economic development.

3."Activate" - Shanghai's First Major Enterprise Data Product IP Financing Launched in Yangpu

Recently, "RSData Platform, a data product with an intellectual property (IP) registration certificate from the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration and listed on the Shanghai Data Exchange, obtained a 100 million yuan pledge financing loan from the Shanghai and Wuhan branches of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. This is the first pledge financing deal since the Interim Measures for Data Product Intellectual Property Registration and Documentation in Shanghai took effect on December 8, 2024.

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Shanghai Weipu Testing Technology Group Co., Ltd., a leading research-oriented testing institution in Yangpu, provides analysis, testing, and R&D services to customers in advanced manufacturing, biomedicine, and beauty and health sectors. After the introduction of the Measures, the company successfully applied for and obtained the first batch of data (product) IP registration certificates.

With support from the Yangpu Intellectual Property Office and the Yangpu Science, Technology and Economy Commission, Shanghai Weipu secured a 10 million yuan data IP pledge financing from China Construction Bank Shanghai Branch. This marks the first major enterprise data product IP financing in Shanghai.

At the next stage, the Yangpu Intellectual Property Office will collaborate with the Yangpu Science, Technology and Economy Commission, the Yangpu Data Bureau, and other departments to promote data IP registration and pledge financing among local enterprises. This initiative aims to advance the market-oriented development of data elements, release data value, and enhance data circulation.

How Can Yangpu Build a Warm "Enterprise Constellation"?

1.How to "Catalyze" Industrial Transformation through Digital-Physical Integration?

In recent years, the digital economy has emerged as a new engine for economic development in Yangpu. However, industrial added value still constitutes about 29% of Yangpu's GDP, serving as a crucial economic "stabilizer".

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Making R&D an Industry and Technology a Product

Recently, the 5th Cohort of the "Industry-Education Integration, Collaborative Innovation" District-University-Enterprise Innovation Salon took place at Changyang Campus, with the theme "Digital-Physical Integration Navigates Industrial Digital Transformation".

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The event brought together experts and entrepreneurs from Tongji University, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST), Siemens, Henkel, Ruking Technology, and Auxiliary Machinery Plant of Power Station. They explored pathways and practices for using digital-physical integration to drive the digital and intelligent transformation of manufacturing.

"Deepening industry-education integration essentially means promoting the advantage complementation of heterogeneous resources within education and industrial systems. By building a community of shared future between universities and enterprises, we can create more employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, enhance talent development, advance economic transformation and upgrading, and foster new growth drivers," said Liu Deqiang, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of USST. The university highly values basic research and application in industrial digitalization, leveraging its first-class disciplines to focus on national strategic priorities and support higher-quality disciplinary development through the advancement of manufacturing industries.

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For many years, Yangpu has leveraged the strengths of university disciplines to deepen district-university cooperation, jointly establishing university science parks and innovation and research platforms, with significant achievements.

Take USST National Science Park for example - it makes R&D an industry and treats technology as a product. By striving to establish a comprehensive service system and an innovative ecosystem "for the entire lifecycle of tech company development", the park has positioned itself as a provider of integrated technology services, a creator of business growth ecosystems, and a platform for the transfer and integration of technological achievements.

To Yang Aijun, a head of Tingshu Technology, the technical resources opened by USST National Science Park have made companies grow faster. "Due to its business features, the company has permanent demand for 3D printing, plate cutting, laser marking and other services." Fortunately, the park where the company is located is backed by USST with all kinds of laboratories and technical equipment accessible to small and micro companies in the park, solving a lot of growing problems for start-up companies.

By continuously enhancing management and operational capabilities and elevating the incubation capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, USST National Science Park is actively exploring an innovative development model that integrates "academic disciplines + industry + funding" along with a synergy of "universities + science parks + industrial parks", promoting the integrated development of innovation chains, industry chains, capital chains and talent chains, and creating a robust and healthy hub for industrial innovation.

Creating a "Nuclear Explosion Point" through "Full-process Innovation"

Yangpu aims to create an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that represents a new path for "full-process innovation". Sci-tech innovation is a full process from basic research to innovation acceleration, i.e. "from 0 to 10". The process "from 0 to 1" is original innovation, and the process "from 1 to 10" is technology transformation. "Encouraging technology innovation centers of large companies, key laboratories and universities to further open equipment resources and technical service resources, and providing entrepreneurial guidance to small and micro companies and college students", was wrote into the development plan of Yangpu early. Starting from the basic innovation at the initial stage, to the transformation of research findings, and then to the establishment of an innovation ecosystem akin to a "tropical rainforest" during the acceleration phase, Yangpu is firing up the engine of technological innovation, aiming to create a "nuclear explosion point" for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Since last year, the Yangpu Science, Technology and Economy Commission has been working closely with the School of Mechanical Engineering, USST. It has organized joint study sessions and exchanging young executives to deepen collaboration in areas such as unblocking innovation sources, accelerating the transformation of technological achievements, and building an innovation system.

Next, the Yangpu Science, Technology and Economy Commission will launch a special action for "digital intelligence empowerment". This plan aims to promote the integrated application of next-generation information technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and AI in the manufacturing sector. It will accelerate the "intelligent transformation, digitalization, and networking" of traditional industries, cultivate model enterprises in the digital economy and intelligent manufacturing, and build smart and benchmark factories. These efforts will create new economic engines and drive the further upgrading and expansion of Yangpu's industry.

2.How Can AI Better Empower All Industries?

With the rapid development of technologies such as AI, big data, and large models, data has become a strategic resource that attracts increasing attention. In December 2024, the "How to Digitalize Yangpu" Salons on Digital Economy Compliance kicked off. These salons focus on various topics related to the compliant development of the digital economy.

What Does Trustworthy AI Look Like?

"When interacting with AI, is there a risk of leaking corporate information? How can we ensure AI security?" These are questions often raised by Zhao Jialin, Director of the Business Division of Shanghai Weipu Testing Technology Group Co., Ltd. Recently, he attended the second session of the "How to Digitalize Yangpu" Salons on Digital Economy Compliance at Changyang Campus.

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During the event, Ernst & Young (China) Advisory Limited Company, in partnership with the Shanghai Society of AI Industry and Social Development, released the White Paper on the Governance of Trustworthy AI. The paper compared the AI governance systems of the EU, the US, and China, explored the development trends and regulatory directions of AI, and proposed nine principles for trustworthy AI development based on security, fairness, and transparency. It also optimizes risk governance strategies that span the entire AI lifecycle.

Zhang Nanchi, a partner at EY's Risk Management and Decision Innovation Consulting Services, emphasized that trust is fundamental in AI. Trustworthy AI must be both technically reliable and ethically robust. It should respect human rights, protect privacy, ensure fairness and justice, and contribute positively to the society. Thus, establishing a comprehensive and effective governance system is essential for the healthy development of AI technology.

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AI is a key strategic resource for driving technological leaps, upgrading industries, and boosting overall productivity. How can we better leverage this resource to empower all industries?

Li Ning, a senior research fellow at the Cyber Research Institute, offered an in-depth analysis of the AI Model-Powered Shanghai Implementation Plan. She highlighted that the plan focuses on promoting the application of AI models in vertical industries by developing key infrastructure such as intelligent computing clusters, corpus systems, hybrid virtual-physical training fields, and industry-based large models.

Fan Shaolin, a project manager at the Innovation Research Institute of the Shanghai Information Security Testing Evaluation and Certification Center, shared insights on the Compliance Guidelines for Generative AI Services. He stressed that enterprises should regularly assess the security, accuracy, and reliability of registered base models and their generated content. Additionally, companies must periodically review the sufficiency of their measures for service transparency, user information protection, and service stability.

Searching Answers in Exploration, Strengthening Data Security for Yangpu's Enterprises

The "How to Digitalize Yangpu" Salons on Digital Economy Compliance is guided by the Office of the Cyberspace Affairs Commission of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, hosted by the Office of the Cyberspace Affairs Commission of the CPC Yangpu District Committee, organized by the Cyber Research Institute, and co-organized by the Yangpu Internet Development Association, and the Center for Internet Studies, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. Conducted offline, the salon series features one session per month over 12 months. The goal is to harness the expertise of professional institutions and think tanks to create a platform for collaboration, offer targeted solutions and professional guidance, foster innovative thinking and problem solving, and support the healthy development of digital economy enterprises.

"Firstly, as data policies at all levels in our country have gradually improved and laws and regulations have been updating in recent years, there is an urgent need for a rapid response mechanism. This mechanism should involve government departments, experts and scholars, and enterprises in timely interpretation of policies, laws and regulations, and problem solving for businesses. Secondly, data issues are inherently complex and revolutionary, requiring us to delve into the essence of data security, circulation, transactions, and compliance. This salon series will significantly accelerate Yangpu's progress in these areas and provide a robust data security framework for local enterprises," said Chen Jidong, an associate professor at the Law School of Tongji University at the inaugural salon.