CDRF Visits Hefei to Research "Coordinated Development of Industries in Yangtze River Delta”

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the announcement of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta as a major national strategy. On June 26 to 28, 2023, Yu Jiantuo, Deputy Secretary General of China Development Research Foundation (CDRF), led a team to Hefei, Anhui Province to conduct research on "Coordinated Development of Industries in Yangtze River Delta". The team visited research institutions, innovative enterprises and high-tech parks in Hefei, focusing on commercialization of scientific and technological advances, integration of factors of innovation, regional coordination of industries, and coordination of industrial development and security. Li Fan, Yan Xiaoxu and Wang Lu of Research 1 of CDRF, Jin Jun, Partner of PwC China and head of "Chinese Cities of Opportunity" project team, and Jiao Jie, VP, Global Partnerships at Swiss RE, took part in the research.

The team first went to Hefei University of Technology and Hefei Institute for Public Safety Research, Tsinghua University to learn about the role of universities in scientific and technological research and collaborative development of enterprises, colleges and research institutes. Hefei University of Technology, other cities of Anhui and the Yangtze River Delta region's leading enterprises collaborates to deliver a large number of successful commercialization of scientific breakthroughs, boosting regional economic and social development, and industrial transformation and upgrading of enterprises. Hefei Institute for Public Safety Research, Tsinghua University aims at the frontier of public security technology in the world, leveraging science and technology and talents of Tsinghua University, as well as the policy and industrial support of Anhui and Hefei to create a collaborative innovation system of public security research, technological innovation, commercialization and industry development.

Enterprises are the main agent of innovation and instrument for the integration of various innovation factors. The team visited the Nio’s Hefei advanced manufacturing base and had a discussion with Zhidi Sensing (Hefei) Technology Co. and Zhituofu retail solutions, and 3M. The team deeply appreciated how integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has stimulated innovation of the region’s companies.

The optimal distribution and coordinated development of regional industries require the combination of a proactive government and an effective market. The team investigated the "Great Innovation Valley" in Shushan, and had discussion with the Hefei Municipal Bureau of Economic and Information Technology, Science and Technology Bureau, Shushan District, High-tech Zone Management Committee and other relevant departments on improving regional industrial policy, optimizing industry layout and coordinating development of key industries, and creating a first-class business environment.

The visit provided the team with fresh firsthand information, which the team will summarize and analyze to better serve policy consultation.