Nestled along the banks of the Huangpu River, Yangpu is emerging as a dynamic hub of innovation. With universities at its heart and technology as its lifeblood, it is weaving a tapestry of innovation that spans from fundamental research to the frontiers of future-oriented industries. Within an 8.5-square-kilometer innovation zone, a powerful synergy is being forged. Universities like Fudan and Tongji are joining forces with university science parks and surrounding areas to create an innovation hub, bridging the critical gap "from 0 to 1" and paving the way for transformative breakthroughs.

Pioneering Breakthroughs: "Boundary-Pushers" in University Labs Lead the Way

In university laboratories, a new breed of "boundary-pushers" is reshaping the landscape, propelling Yangpu to the forefront of original innovation.

In late February, a groundbreaking discovery by Yu Jintai's team from Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University made headlines in the Science journal. They unveiled FAM171A2, a novel therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease (PD), marking the world's first such breakthrough. The five-year endeavor decoded the propagation mechanism of pathogenic protein α-synuclein and harnessed AI to identify small-molecule compounds capable of inhibiting its pathological spread - an innovation now protected by an international patent. Looking ahead, the team is poised to embark on a three-year journey of preclinical development, exploring small-molecule drugs, antibodies, and gene therapies, with the ambitious goal of pioneering the world's first disease-halting therapeutic strategy.

Tongji University's researchers have recently achieved remarkable milestones in top-tier international journals. The team led by Jia Xinming from the School of Medicine exposed the intricate mechanisms of fungal immune evasion in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Meanwhile, the collaborative efforts of Zhang Xiaoqing, Liu Ling, and Fang Yujiang unraveled new metabolic regulatory mechanisms for pancreatic β cells, as published in Cell Metabolism. Additionally, the duo of Gao Shaorong and Jiang Cizhong from the School of Life Sciences and Technology shed light on the critical regulatory network determining cell fate during embryo implantation, as featured in Developmental Cell.

These accomplishments underscore the formidable innovative prowess of Yangpu, home to 33 state key laboratories and over 100 research institutions.

Universities and research institutes here have emerged as the backbone of the nation's scientific and technological strategy. From clinical advancements in brain-computer interfaces for PD to the seamless fusion of mathematics with cross-disciplinary fields, Yangpu is leveraging its academic research edge to propel transformative breakthroughs from fundamental research, fostering new drivers for future-oriented industries.

Interdisciplinary Innovation Hub: Strategic Alliance for Technology Innovation

In early January, the Calabi-Yau Square at the Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences (SIMIS) opened its doors. This visionary landmark, where the elegance of mathematics meets the ingenuity of art, has emerged as a portal for Yangpu to engage with the world's most brilliant scientific minds. At its heart stands a towering 6-meter bronze statue of the "Calabi-Yau Space", a tribute to Academician Shing-Tung Yau's groundbreaking proof of the Calabi Conjecture in 1976. This mathematical revelation, which underpins superstring theory, is now brought to life through a striking three-dimensional sculpture, making the abstract tangible.

The square's design is a masterclass in integration, featuring water displays etched with ten iconic mathematical formulas and interactive pathways that follow functional curves. Its unveiling marks a bold stride forward for Yangpu in the realm of fundamental research.

Since SIMIS set down roots in Yangpu, it has drawn over 50 scientists from across the globe. They have spearheaded nine cutting-edge interdisciplinary projects spanning life and health, new power systems, and beyond. This influx of talents has also drawn companies from AI, large-scale modeling, and biomedicine, forging partnerships that are revitalizing urban growth and propelling industrial transformation.

As a trailblazing research institution, SIMIS is helmed by world-class mathematicians and a roster of top-tier global scientists. Their focus is exploring the intersections of mathematics with life sciences and AI. Looking ahead, the institute is poised to deepen the integration of education, technology, and talents, forging a strategic alliance for technology innovation.

SIMIS is currently creating a global exchange platform for scientists and plans to establish an international research institution this year in collaboration with the Brazil Center and the Nordic Innovation Center.

Yangpu, bolstered by ten universities including Fudan and Tongji, has cultivated a distinctive talent ecosystem. It is home to 74 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, over 400 national-level professionals, and more than 600 top-tier international experts. Through the establishment of innovation bases for post-doctoral researchers worldwide and the enhancement of a seamless "one-stop talent service" framework, the district is cultivating a thriving ecosystem of innovation, much like a vibrant "rainforest" for talents to flourish.

Tech Transformation Accelerator: From Lab to Industrialization

The brilliance of university laboratories is now fueling a revolution in industrial transformation.

In recent years, the historic factories along the riverside have been reborn as lighthouses of the digital economy. The digital economy in Yangpu has surged with double-digit growth for five straight years, propelling the software and information industry to a solid second place in Shanghai. Anchored by the "1+2+3+4" modern industrial framework, the district has become a magnet for over 8,000 digital economy enterprises, including industry titans like Douyin, Meituan, and Bilibili.

Yangpu now serves as a vibrant ecosystem where "tech titans" and budding "innovation pioneers" coexist and thrive.

Seven national university science parks, half of the city's total, have put down roots here, acting as launch pads for innovative and entrepreneurial talents. In this dynamic interplay between academia and urban life, the seeds of innovation are flourishing.

TusStar, a trailblazer in redefining the incubation system, has established a cutting-edge incubator dedicated to the new digital economy, embracing a collaborative "technology + industry" innovation framework. Centered on advancements in digital content creation and processing, it has fostered an ecosystem rooted in "demand-driven innovation, collaborative partnerships, and integrated investment-incubation synergy". By meticulously leveraging university research findings, it has enabled seamless alignment between the demand and supply dynamics of the digital economy's industrial chain.

The Yangpu Technology Innovation Origination Area is transforming the innovation landscape with its deeply rooted "academic DNA", spanning groundbreaking advancements in brain-computer interface medicine to the cross-disciplinary fusion of mathematical theories. From original innovations in university labs to the industrial incubation within science parks, this hub is redefining the innovation ecosystem. As national strategic technological forces converge here, this fertile ground of innovation continues to fuel the momentum for "zero-to-one" breakthroughs, offering robust support for Shanghai's vision to emerge as a global epicenter of technological innovation.