Shanghai's Pudong New Area announced two pivotal policy frameworks at its 2026 Investment Promotion, Environment Optimization, and Development Boosting Conference on Jan 5, marking a significant step toward further improving the business environment.

The first policy, the 2026 Quality and Efficiency Enhancement Action Plan for Building Pudong New Area into a Business Environment Comprehensive Demonstration Zone, introduces 52 measures under 10 special initiatives.

The measures focus on five priority areas: government services, market competition, industrial ecosystem, legal protection, and social co-governance.

In government services, Pudong will improve enterprise support through the "efficiently completing one task" initiative and the "Empower Enterprises to Go Global" action, helping businesses expand internationally.

To promote fair market competition, Pudong will implement three initiatives: conducting high-level intellectual property protection, preventing digital risks, and fostering a sound online environment.

In terms of the industrial ecosystem, Pudong will launch four special actions to support youth entrepreneurship, ensure industrial space services, facilitate financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, and optimize the industrial ecosystem, strengthening development through talent, spaces, financing, and innovation.

On legal protection, Pudong will expedite key legislation and upgrade the core area of the Shanghai International Legal Services Center.

In the social and cultural sphere, Pudong will expand its "business environment ambassadors" and "media observers" teams, and support the building of distinctive development models at the subdistrict and town levels, crafting a livable, business-friendly community.

The second policy, the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) of Pudong New Area for 10 Key Industry Clusters, outlines the development of 10 core industry clusters.

Pudong aims to build integrated circuits, biomedicine, intelligently connected vehicles and software and information technology services into clusters each reaching 500 billion yuan ($71.55 billion). Artificial intelligence and smart terminals are targeted to reach 200 billion yuan, while civil aviation, shipbuilding, embodied intelligence, and new energy clusters are expected to reach 100 billion yuan each.

To achieve these goals, Pudong will form industry cluster task forces for efficient project implementation, provide high-quality innovation platforms for technology conversion, and enhance enterprise service capabilities to foster business growth.

At the conference, agreements were signed for 50 key projects, with a total investment exceeding 70 billion yuan, spanning finance, technology, trade, foreign investment, culture, sports, tourism, State-owned assets, and talent sectors.

Moreover, a policy package was launched for ecosystem cultivation that encompasses technology innovation, entrepreneurship and innovation of small and micro enterprises, industrial upgrading, financial support, and talent attraction.

The package includes an industry-guiding fund matrix with a scale of 100 billion yuan, and the "Pearl Plan" that offers up to 100 million yuan in R&D support, helping companies achieve sustainable growth.

Source: Jiefang Daily