An AI+ innovation center will be jointly developed by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Shanghai's Qingpu district, aiming to become the first stop of investment in Shanghai for enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Forty projects were signed during the Qingpu New City Development Conference on July 25. Among these, strategic cooperation agreements were inked between China Telecom Shanghai Branch, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Bank of Communications, and Qingpu district government.

Huawei and Qingpu district government jointly launched the "Yangtze River Delta AI+ Joint Innovation Center" during the event.

"We will cooperate with Huawei on localized research, development and production, integrate industrial chain and partner resources, and nurture smart terminal industry clusters together," said an enterprise representative.

Huawei opened its new 11-billion-yuan ($1.5 billion) Lianqiu Lake facility in Qingpu last year, its biggest-ever R&D center.

The Lianqiu Lake complex, designed as Huawei's global R&D hub, is the cornerstone of the Xicen Science and Innovation Center, which is expected to be completed by 2030, bringing nearly 100,000 employees to the area.

The complex will be a core base for developing Huawei HiSilicon chips, 5G and 6G wireless technologies, smartphones, automobiles and digital energy.

Covering 91.1 square kilometers, Qingpu New City contributes to 40 percent of the district's GDP and 65 percent of its above-scale industrial output value.

Based on the blueprint, it will develop a central business district and three functional zones, including the urban renewal practice area, a future city model area, and an industrial innovation park with the 6.5-square-kilometer central business district as the core of the development.

According to the 2025 Qingpu New City development plan, it will focus on next-generation information technology to cultivate a 100-billion-yuan-level industrial cluster, build a complete industrial ecosystem centering on leading enterprises like Huawei, and attract headquarters economy and tech innovation enterprises.

As a featured industry for coordinated development, BeiDou and low-altitude economy will use next-generation IT in Qingpu to synergize with the cluster in high-end equipment manufacturing and modern logistics.

From 2026 to 2030, Qingpu New City will enhance diversified housing supply, promote the functional integration of rental housing, R&D innovation, leisure spaces, and public services in industrial communities, and provide low-cost and embedded industrial spaces for innovative talented personnel.

Source: Qingpu district government