As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the People's City concept this year, Yangpu, as the district where it was first proposed, has witnessed booming digital economy development and vibrant urban life. Let's feel this increasingly "YOUNG" people's city together...

Starting today, the district's Investment Promotion Office and the district's Convergence Media Center jointly launch the "Innovation Development in Yangpu" column, focusing on high-quality enterprises in the region, showcasing more Yangpu stories on the People's City innovation show belt, and promoting investment attraction and resource gathering through the opening up of enterprise scenarios. On the "hottest fertile ground" for innovation development, the "warmest district" for the business environment continues to bring new updates.

Every second, 20 consumers worldwide use Henkel hair dyes; every year, Henkel detergents help wash 25 billion loads of laundry; in the field of adhesive technology, Henkel is the global leader...

Henkel, a German chemical and consumer goods manufacturer with a history of over 140 years, has been deeply cultivating the Chinese market for more than 50 years. In 2001, Henkel arrived in Shanghai and registered in our district. Later in 2007, the company relocated its Asia-Pacific and Greater China headquarters to Yangpu, becoming one of the first regional headquarters of multinational enterprises to take root in Shanghai for over 20 years.

Planting roots in our district for over 20 years, Henkel has witnessed and participated in the innovative transformation of Yangpu. "The rich atmosphere of scientific and technological innovation, abundant talent resources, and continuously improving business environment in our district have cultivated fertile soil for the development of foreign-invested enterprises, including Henkel," said Anna, President of Henkel Greater China. Based in Yangpu, the company's development in the Chinese market will continue to move forward. "Henkel looks forward to further developing the Chinese market, supporting customers and consumers with more high-quality, sustainable innovation results, and continuing to promote scientific and technological innovation, enhance end-to-end capabilities, and contribute to the accelerated construction of an innovation-driven modern industrial system in our district."

Leveraging the Hotbed of Innovation, Gathering Global Wisdom, Advancing Consumer Market Revolution

Earlier this year, Henkel's Consumer Goods Asia Research and Development Center, with a total investment of approximately RMB 100 million, was completed and put into operation in Yangpu Bay Valley Technology Park. As Henkel's largest research and development center for consumer brands in Asia, it covers an area of over 2,500 square meters. With "innovation, digitalization, and sustainability" as its design concept, it boasts advanced equipment and comprehensive R&D capabilities, including a consumer insight center, cutting-edge technology research, product formula development, packaging design, physicochemical analysis, and product performance assessment. It will contribute to Henkel's strong global research network spanning Europe, North America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, the center attracts top scientific talent worldwide, dedicated to enhancing Henkel's local R&D capabilities in two major business categories: hair care, laundry and home care, further pushing Henkel's consumer products to the forefront of the industry.

The smooth "settling in" of the new R&D center not only reflects the company's commitment to revolutionizing the consumer goods market but also demonstrates the highly competitive talent market and vibrant innovation environment in our district. China is Henkel's third-largest market globally, playing a crucial role in the company's global business. As the district where the People's City concept was first proposed, Yangpu boasts a concentration of university talent and burgeoning park vitality, engaging in a "two-way commitment" with enterprises in the wave of innovation.

Anna introduced that in the Chinese market, Henkel supports the development of local industries and talent through localized sustainable innovation services and continuous investment. "In the past five years, Henkel has successively built a new Consumer Goods Asia Research and Development Center and a South China Electronic Adhesives Application Center in China, opened the hair care professional institution 'PROVI', and is constructing the Shanghai Adhesives Innovation Experience Center and a new factory." During these five years, our district has activated innovation as the "primary driving force" to promote high-quality change, efficiency change, and power change in the urban area, focusing on high-quality development and fully leveraging the leading role of scientific and technological innovation to drive the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. At the same time, our district actively creates a talent show belt, fostering a talent development environment that is attractive, utilizes talents to their fullest potential, and bursts with vitality.

"Our district is home to more than ten well-known universities, such as Fudan University and Tongji University, bringing together rich cultural and research resources, providing high-quality talent support at the doorstep for the development of enterprises in the district. This helps promote Henkel's continuous progress in cutting-edge technology research and application fields, deepen the understanding of changing consumer behavior, enhance its local R&D strength, and bring more customized and leading products and technologies to the local and global markets," Anna said. "Looking to the future, Henkel will advance impactful local innovation, combine global experience in sustainable development, provide support for Chinese customers and consumers, and meet the requirements of developing new quality productive forces for scientific and technological innovation."

Integrating into the People's City, Collaborating with Multiple Forces, Taking Root and Growing in Our District

Yangpu, committed to creating the "warmest district" for the business environment, is gradually forming a "tropical rainforest" innovation ecosystem covering the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. It has explored a set of development secrets for being a good "gold-medal service provider" in the new practice of the People's City. Here, enterprises never go it alone but harmoniously coexist with high-quality enterprises across fields and industries in the district, deeply connect with communities, parks, and campuses, and closely accompany the city's development plans.

Earlier this year, Henkel's brand Schwarzkopf joined hands with ByteDance's Ocean Engine to release the white paper "Professional Beauty Creation, Let Beauty Happen, Exploring the Beautiful Answers of Hair". In response to the increasingly refined hair care needs of the market and the growing scalp care awareness of consumers, this white paper aims to deeply understand the segmented needs of contemporary consumers in the four major fields of hair "washing", "caring", "dyeing", and "beautifying", listen to the voices of users, and understand the "high", "precise" and "cutting-edge" technologies behind the industry. Through professional and scientific argumentation, the white paper conveys the brand's forward-looking concepts and in-depth exploration of the beauty industry, making positive contributions to building a prosperous global beauty industry ecosystem.

Such cross-border interactions echo our district's pursuit of being the first to build a national digital economy innovation and development city and create the "Digital Yangpu" brand. It also reflects the business environment advantages of Yangpu's industrial agglomeration and the formation of a virtuous ecosystem. "The booming development of the digital economy in our district provides Henkel with extensive collaboration opportunities and promotes cross-border innovation," Anna said.

In recent years, our district has promoted the "Chief Service Officer" system and "service packages" for key enterprises to quickly respond to enterprise demands. In the Shangpu Center Park, where Henkel's management center is located, any enterprise can report demands and seek help from dedicated service officers. Previously, during the process of finding a location for Henkel's Consumer Goods Asia Research and Development Center, the company encountered difficulties such as hard-to-find space and complex construction issues. Our district took the initiative to connect with the enterprise, leading multiple forces to assist in formulating solutions and resolving problems. In addition, it is quite convenient and efficient for enterprises to conduct business in our district. At present, our district is deeply promoting the centralization of enterprise service matters to the government affairs service center. Relying on the "one network, one cloud, one window" service model, it provides enterprises with professional services in talent, financing, scientific and technological innovation, and law, allowing enterprises to "run fewer errands".

Anna expressed, "The continuously improving business environment in our district has provided significant support for Henkel's development. Efficient government services have also made our project approval and implementation process smoother, accelerating the landing of innovation."

Henkel has always given back to the community and taken on the responsibility of a corporate citizen. Anna introduced that in Greater China, Henkel has supported thousands of employees to participate in the "For Tomorrow" volunteer activities, focusing on public welfare projects in social needs, education, health, environment, and other fields to promote social progress. "These volunteer service projects initiated by employees have established ties and deepened Henkel's connection with the community."

Last year, with "Future Green City" as the carrier, Henkel attended the CIIE for the fifth time, presenting innovation achievements in the industrial and consumer goods fields to the audience. This year, Henkel's Consumer Goods Asia Research and Development Center made its debut, contributing to the development of our district into a new highland for Shanghai to expand opening up and attract foreign investment. The deepening of Chinese-style modernization has brought new opportunities for consumption and industrial upgrading. Our district will join hands with enterprises, achieve together, and jointly build the best practice location for the People's City.

Henkel is a leader in both the industrial and consumer sectors. Its product portfolio includes hair care products, laundry and home care products, as well as adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings. Many of its well-known international brands are household names in China, such as Schwarzkopf, SYOSS, Loctite, Teroson, Pritt, and Pattex.

To contact the company, please visit the official Henkel brand website at www.henkel.cn.