Minhang rises as global R&D hub
The Grand Neobay innovation corridor in Shanghai's Minhang district. [Photo/WeChat ID: minhangnews]
Minhang district in Shanghai is now home to three officially recognized global R&D centers – for Estee Lauder, Amphenol, and Innovent Biologics – spanning the fields of beauty, communications electronics, and biopharma.
To date, the district has hosted 110 foreign‑funded R&D centers, ranking second in Shanghai, with a diversified matrix covering auto parts, high‑end equipment, and new chemical materials.
Innovent's global R&D center, with over 1.5 billion yuan ($208 million) invested and having been operational since 2024, has launched multiple innovative drugs, with findings published in Nature and other top journals.
Estee Lauder's China Innovation R&D Center, which marked its 20th year in 2025, leads the development of global blockbusters. It operates a full closed‑loop system from consumer insight to product launch.
Amphenol, with an R&D team with over 300 members and annual investment exceeding 200 million yuan, continuously undertakes core global wireless terminal R&D assignments.
Leveraging platforms such as Zizhu High‑tech Zone, the Grand Neobay innovation corridor, and the Minhang area of Hongqiao International CBD, Minhang district bridges the entire industrial chain from university laboratories and corporate R&D to industrialization.
Backed by the Chunshen Talent Plan and targeted policies offering up to 3 million yuan in subsidies with automatic eligibility, it delivers full‑lifecycle services for foreign enterprises.
These three centers set a series of benchmarks, attracting multinationals to place their global R&D command in Minhang, with the vision of building a foreign innovation hub rooted in the Yangtze River Delta and connected to global markets.
