Shen Lei, director of the administrative office of the Nantong Central Innovative District, speaks at the promotional conference in Shanghai on May 30. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

A promotional conference for the Nantong Central Innovative District was held in Shanghai on May 30, aiming to attract domestic and overseas companies and R&D institutes to set up offices in the area.

More than 200 business representatives from State-owned enterprises, a clutch of Fortune 500 companies, industrial organizations and financial institutes operating in Shanghai attended the event to discuss cooperation.

Nantong is picking up pace to build the district into an innovation hub with high-end industries, high-skilled workers and high-quality services, said Shen Lei, director of the administrative office of the district, at the conference.

He expressed the hope that the attendees would visit the district to personally experience Nantong’s fast growth and the huge business potential of the district.

During the conference, several business leaders shared their views on the district’s development. A number of key projects were also signed.

Nantong Central Innovative District is located in the downtown area of Nantong, with a planned area of 17 square kilometers. It has a central forest park scenic belt, a scientific innovation center, a cultural innovation center, an international exhibition center and a medical science center.

The district has set up an innovation fund worth 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) and built a large amount of apartments to attract high-end companies, workers and entrepreneurs.