Three Gorges Rudong 800,000-kW offshore wind project in Nantong. [Photo provided by Xu Shuying to en.nantong.gov.cn]

The Nantong bureau of industry and information technology in Jiangsu province recently highlighted the city's development achievements in industry and information technology during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) at a press conference.

From 2021 to 2025, the contribution of the industrial economy to Nantong's economic development steadily increased, establishing itself as a cornerstone and stabilizing force for economic growth.

The number of industrial enterprises above designated size in Nantong has grown from 5,262 to 7,465 as of the end of September 2025. The added value of these enterprises has seen an average annual growth rate of 8.7 percent, surpassing the provincial average by 0.8 percentage points. In 2024, approximately one-third of the total employment in the city is in the industrial sector and Nantong ranked 25th among China's top 100 cities for advanced manufacturing.

Nantong is accelerating the development of a modern industrial system centered around manufacturing, with the shipbuilding and marine engineering and high-end textile industries being recognized as national-level advanced manufacturing clusters. By the end of 2024, the city had 15 enterprises with an annual output value exceeding 10 billion yuan ($1.41 billion), with Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology reaching the 100 billion yuan milestone. By the end of this year, the output value of the city's six major industrial clusters is expected to exceed 1.3 trillion yuan.

Nantong's efforts to deeply integrate the digital economy with the real economy have resulted in the implementation of 16,300 intelligent transformation and digital networking projects, the creation of 234 provincial-level smart manufacturing demonstration workshops, and 137 provincial-level smart factories.

The city is actively rejuvenating traditional industries, working to eliminate outdated production processes and equipment. Efforts are also underway to promote green and low-carbon industrial development, with the cumulative creation of 34 national-level green factories and two national-level green industrial parks.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the city is set to comprehensively drive the revitalization of traditional industries, the expansion of emerging sectors, and the nurturing of future industries, paving the way for the development of a modern industrial system.