The innovation vitality of a city lies in the enterprising spirit of its people, as well as the vigorous development of industries and the thriving economy. Setting sail—building the digital trade ecosystem "International Digital and Intelligent Future Valley," industrial remains are not only a window for vividly interpreting the People's City concept but also a window for "foreign economic and trade institutions to see Shanghai." Reciprocity—on the one hand "cultivating the new," on the other hand "attracting the new," Yangpu has gradually formed two major foreign-funded headquarters agglomeration areas in the southern Dalian Road and northern GKIC regions. Riding the waves—"Digital Yangpu," "deriving" another "1+2+3+4" from "1+2+3+4," "the first in the city," "the first in the country," Yangpu's financial innovation has made breakthroughs time and again, releasing the value of data elements and promoting the healthy development of the digital economy...

Innovation and development restart require both "going out" and "bringing in." Yangpu, this "hottest fertile soil," always faces the "ocean."

Setting Sail—Building the Digital Trade Ecosystem "International Digital and Intelligent Future Valley"

The Yangpu Riverside People's City Construction Planning Exhibition Hall was reconstructed from the former site of Xiangtai Lumber Firm. Its exterior resembles a "wooden box," but inside flows the blood of "digitalization"—four rows of touchable and interactive bookshelves, alternately storing physical books and electronic "fake books," respectively presenting the theoretical origins, development threads, rich connotations, and contemporary value of the People's City concept. In the underground exhibition hall, three interactive video boxes are opened for display, recording the historical evolution of Yangpu Riverside from the 19th century to the present... This place has become a window for vividly interpreting the People's City concept.

Recently, this public open space that integrates historical memory, theoretical learning, publicity and education, exchange and interaction, and other functions has also become a window for "foreign economic and trade institutions to see Shanghai." On that day, Yangpu, together with the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Industry and the Shanghai International Chamber of Commerce, held the "Foreign Economic and Trade Institutions See Shanghai—Entering Yangpu" activity. At the same time, the Yangpu District Digital Trade Development Service Center (Enterprise Going Global Development Service Center) was established.

Yangpu currently has more than 7,000 digital economy-related enterprises. In 2023, the revenue of the software and information service industry reached RMB 260 billion, accounting for more than 40% of the total revenue of enterprises in the district and about 1/6 of the city's total. For the innovation and development restart, it is inevitable for Yangpu enterprises to "go global," implement trade digitalization, and develop digital trade.

At present, Yangpu is actively participating in the construction of Shanghai's "Silk Road E-commerce" international collaboration pioneering zone and the Shanghai DEPA (Digital Economy Partnership Agreement) collaboration zone, actively leveraging its agglomeration advantages and empowerment functions in digital technology, data elements, and digital platforms, injecting vitality into cross-border trade with a solid digital industry foundation, and striving to build a digital trade ecosystem "International Digital and Intelligent Future Valley," creating a new channel for cross-border e-commerce transactions, a new platform for digital trade services, a new hub for scientific research data flow, and a new highland for digital culture going global.

The newly established Digital Trade Development Service Center (Enterprise Going Global Development Service Center) will provide enterprises with a series of professional services including business consulting, investment promotion, financial support, intellectual property protection, legal services, and cross-border data transactions, helping Yangpu enterprises solve various problems and challenges encountered in the international market and becoming a strong "backing" for enterprises to enter the international market.

During the event, representatives of economic and trade institutions from the United States, France, Serbia, Finland, Spain, and other countries had face-to-face exchanges and communication with Yangpu enterprises. An attending representative said that the establishment of the center would further broaden the path for Yangpu enterprises to go global and further enhance the internationalization level of Yangpu enterprises. They hoped to jointly explore more mutually beneficial collaboration models by strengthening collaboration with Yangpu District and promote the in-depth development of bilateral trade and investment.

Previously, Yangpu had already let policies "actively come to the door" to help foreign trade enterprises set sail.

AEO, Authorized Economic Operator, is a system established by the World Customs Organization to simplify cross-border cargo processes, reduce trade costs, and ensure supply chain safety. In the industry, AEO certification is not only a recognition of an enterprise's credibility and management level but also a strong support for an enterprise's international development.

The District Commerce Commission has already joined hands with Yangpu Customs to establish the "Yangfan" Enterprise Service Station. The service station provides one-stop cultivation services for Yangpu foreign trade enterprises, including AEO certification consulting, policy interpretation, process guidance, etc., changing "enterprises seeking policies" to "policies seeking enterprises," to help enterprises better understand the AEO system and relevant enterprise benefit measures, thereby enjoying more policy dividends, promoting Yangpu AEO enterprises to achieve higher-quality development, and expanding the international trade circle of friends.

Reciprocity—On the One Hand "Cultivating the New," On the Other Hand "Attracting the New"

The "neighbor" of the Yangpu Riverside People's City Construction Planning Exhibition Hall—Shanghai International Fashion Center, is the location of the Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exhibition Hall. Recently, the signing ceremony of the cooperation development and service agreement for the Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exhibition Hall was held in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, signifying that the hall has officially obtained operation authorization.

According to the agreement reached by both parties this time, the Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exhibition Hall will serve as Laos' first comprehensive national-level exhibition hall overseas, showcasing Laos' image, China-Laos friendship, cooperation achievements, and Lao and ASEAN specialty commodities throughout the year, promoting Lao and ASEAN products to enter the Chinese market, and also helping Shanghai's green and low-carbon industries enter Laos, becoming an important platform for showcasing the multi-level cooperation achievements between the two countries in politics, economy, trade, culture, tourism, and other aspects.

In November 2022, the Yangpu District Government and the Trade Promotion Department of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Laos signed the "Memorandum of Collaboration on Jointly Building a High-Level Economic and Trade Cooperation Platform," becoming Yangpu's first national-level "Belt and Road" project. In November 2023, the Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exhibition Hall was unveiled in Yangpu. During the nearly half-year trial operation period, the hall has received nearly 60 visiting delegations, with more than 800 person-times visiting.

Yangpu is an important foreign investment gathering place in Shanghai, converging more than forty regional headquarters and R&D centers of multinational companies such as Nike, Lear, Dell Technologies, AECOM, and Amcor, gradually forming two major foreign-funded headquarters agglomeration areas in the southern Dalian Road and northern GKIC regions.

My company is in Yangpu. It's like a window that allows me to constantly feel the pulse of Shanghai's development, said Gu Ruihua, the outgoing president of Vitesco Technologies China, who has witnessed the rise of headquarters enterprises on Dalian Road and the confidence and determination of Yangpu to optimize the business environment over the past 14 years.

Vitesco Technologies was formed by Continental Group's spin-off of its powertrain business unit, and is committed to providing intelligent system solutions and key components for electric, hybrid, and internal combustion engine drive systems. In 2021, the Municipal Commerce Commission recognized Vitesco Technologies China Company as a regional headquarters of multinational companies. In the same year, Vitesco held the launching ceremony of its new China headquarters in Yangpu, becoming increasingly bold on the road of industry transformation.

On the one hand, cultivating, encouraging, and supporting multinational enterprises in the district to add new business divisions and new business segments; on the other hand, taking the initiative to "go out" and continue to carry out investment promotion layout... In Yangpu, foreign-funded enterprises have ushered in a new round of major development opportunities.

The first rays of the morning sun cast on the layers of glass curtain walls of the multinational enterprise headquarters office buildings on Yangpu's Dalian Road, and office workers started a new day of work. Among the layered silhouettes, Vitesco Technologies' industrial yellow label is bright and eye-catching.

Riding the Waves—"Digital Yangpu," Deriving Another "1+2+3+4" from "1+2+3+4"

Having had in-depth collaborations with cultural and artistic institutions such as UNESCO, China National Peking Opera Company, the Palace Museum, and Suzhou Museum, incorporating traditional Chinese culture into game products, exporting products to more than 30 countries and regions overseas, with the total series downloads exceeding 200 million person-times... This is Paper Games' "track record" in the gaming circle.

The "1+2+3+4" innovation-oriented modern industrial system is the "core engine" for Yangpu to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces. On this basis, to create a resounding "Digital Yangpu" brand, Yangpu has "derived" another "1+2+3+4"—"1" is to fully leverage the function of data as a basic resource and the function of innovation as an engine, building an innovation-oriented modern industrial system dominated by the digital economy as the "main line"; "2" is to promote the "dual-wheel drive" of "Big Techs + universities" to multiply data value; "3" is to use the "three major starting points" of improving data supply level, optimizing data circulation environment, and prospering the digital economy ecosystem; "4" is to use the "four strategic positionings" of creating a pilot zone for multi-element data convergence and integration, a pioneering zone for data-driven scientific and technological innovation, a leading zone for data empowerment of the digital economy, and a demonstration zone for data assisting the People's City practice.

How does data turn into assets? Yangpu makes another "breakthrough" in innovative financial products.

This model focuses on strategic non-financial data, aiming to enhance enterprises' credit ratings by assessing the quality and value of enterprise data assets, thereby helping enterprises obtain more flexible funding sources, said Han Liyan, Chairman of Qingyan Technology, referring to the city's first data asset credit enhancement model, jointly released by Qingyan Technology and SPD Silicon Valley Bank at the Yangpu District Data Element × Financial Innovation—Financial Empowerment for High-Quality Development of the Digital Economy seminar held recently.

Han Liyan introduced that the model has a wide range of application scenarios. It can be used for enterprise data asset credit enhancement and as a basis for enterprise data asset pledging. This innovative measure provides enterprises with more financing methods and financial institutions with more risk hedging means, which is conducive to promoting the healthy development of the digital economy.

This "first in the city" is not an "isolated case" of Yangpu's financial innovation. In March this year, the city's first financial credit field data asset pledge financing landed in Yangpu. The Yangpu Science and Technology Economic Commission took the lead in coordinating the Agricultural Bank of China Wujiaochang Branch and the Shanghai Data Exchange to complete the entire process from loan investigation, data asset confirmation, assessment, registration, certification, pledge to loan approval and issuance within just 14 days, providing loan financing to enterprises in the district.

In addition to the "first in the city," there is also the "first in the country."

Recently, the Yangpu Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center took the lead in initiating the country's first publicly-offered REITs with a national-level technology enterprise incubator as the original equity holder. This move has attracted the attention of a number of leading funds, including the SDIC (Shanghai) Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Fund, the Shanghai Angel Investment Guidance Fund, and the Guotai Junan Innovation Mother Fund, with a total fund scale exceeding RMB 100 billion, which will provide strong financial support for Yangpu's scientific and technological innovation and digital economy development.

In recent years, the digitalization level of Chinese industries has significantly increased, and data resources are playing an increasingly important role in value creation for enterprises, especially relevant data enterprises. At the same time, big data applications are bringing quality and efficiency improvements to more and more industries.

The "Yangpu District Digital New Track Three-Year Implementation Plan (2023-2025)" and "Several Policies on the Agglomeration Development of the Online New Economy Industry in the 'Changyang Show Belt'" have been successively introduced; 14 artificial intelligence and big data (cloud computing) industry innovation bases, including KIC, Changyang Campus, Interconnection Treasure Land, and Cloud Base, have been built, with a total carrier area of 660,000 square meters...

Yangpu takes the digital economy as the starting point for regional innovation and development, integrates the resource advantages of all parties, leverages the multiplier effect of big data elements, and serves and supports the high-quality development of Shanghai's modern industries and the innovative leap of the digital economy.

Emilio Cassanelli has been in Shanghai for more than twenty years. As the Vice President of Business Development in China for the Italian company RGS and a director of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC), he has always adhered to the development strategy of deeply cultivating the Chinese market. At the 2023 Yangpu Riverside Global Promotion Conference, Emilio Cassanelli said, "I know Shanghai and Yangpu very well. Yangpu has many well-known universities, and I am very optimistic about the future of the Riverside. The promotion conference is a good opportunity for our company to promote development."

Being a good "logistics chief" and "strategic partner," "Innovative Yangpu" spares no effort.