A bird's-eye view of Nantong. [Photo provided by Qian Xianhua to en.nantong.gov.cn]

The Nantong municipal bureau of science and technology in Jiangsu province recently highlighted the achievements made in leading the integration of technological and industrial innovation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) at a press conference.

In 2024, total research and development investment across Nantong accounted for 2.96 percent of its GDP, while the output value of high-tech industries made up 49.6 percent of the total industrial output above a designated size. From 2021 to 2025, the net increase of high-tech enterprises reached 2,146, bringing the total number to 4,324. Additionally, the city saw its first two companies selected as Chinese unicorn enterprises.

The city now hosts over 900 research institutions at provincial level or higher. Prestigious universities and institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the National Innovation Center par Excellence have established a presence in Nantong, bringing the total number of institutions built by universities and local authorities to 40.

Nantong has implemented a new round of strategic cooperation agreements on scientific and technological innovation with Shanghai, forming an industrial chain alliance with Shanghai's Putuo district and eight cities along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu. Over 50 percent of Nantong's enterprises have partnered with Shanghai and 70 percent of manufacturing enterprises above designated size in the city have collaborated with Shanghai's universities and institutions. In the past five years, more than 100 collaborative platforms have been established between Shanghai and Nantong.

Since 2021, Nantong has been consecutively selected as a candidate city for the Ministry of Science and Technology's Charming China – the Most Attractive Chinese Cities in the Eyes of Foreign Talents.

Looking towards the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Nantong aims to anchor its overall goal of strengthening innovation, especially technological innovation, and accelerating the cultivation of new quality productive forces with local characteristics.