Shanghai's Pudong New Area has released a new plan to fast-track the development of Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town into a world-class hub for AI application innovation and a top-tier AI industry cluster.

Development goals

The plan emphasizes cutting-edge areas of AI industry development, breakthroughs in key core technologies, and the launch of high-end products and popular applications. Its objective is to establish a world-class AI industry cluster and build a globally influential hub for vertical application innovation.

By 2027, the goal is to cluster more than 800 enterprises specializing in vertical AI foundation model applications, cultivate three to five industry-leading companies, complete over 100 AI foundation model registrations, and create over 30 exemplary AI application scenarios, with the AI industry reaching a scale of 65 billion yuan ($9.33 billion).

By 2030, the target is to host over 1,000 enterprises specializing in vertical AI foundation model applications and achieve an AI industry scale exceeding 100 billion yuan, while forming several benchmark application scenarios with replicable significance.

Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town aspires to evolve into a vibrant innovation town, a high-quality urban industrial integrated community, and a smart, eco-friendly future city by 2030, positioning itself as a premier destination for global AI innovation and entrepreneurial talent.

Spatial layout

The Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town is bounded by Shenjiang Road to the east, Middle Huaxia Road to the south, Jinke Road to the west, and Chuanyang River to the north, covering a planned area of about two square kilometers.

The town will focus on creating an AI industry ecosystem integrating R&D, ecology, application, and living, centered around the Model Matrix Twin Towers, Model Matrix Community, Model Matrix Island, and Model Matrix Field.

The Twin Towers will integrate innovation incubation, industry clustering, and technology services in a vertical space. The Community will support the accelerated development of growing enterprises. The Island will attract star enterprises and potential unicorn enterprises. The Field will focus on showcasing and promoting exemplary AI application scenarios, and providing commercial convention and exhibition services.

Main tasks

The plan outlines essential tasks across four domains, including:

1. Building a world-class AI hub

• Develop a premier destination for leading AI talent by exploring the establishment of the Pudong branch of the Shanghai Innovation Institute and deepening cooperation with research-oriented universities and colleges, as well as R&D institutions.
• Improve the AI enterprise cultivation system by establishing a mechanism for discovering early-stage quality projects, and leveraging competitions, patient capital, and application scenarios to attract promising enterprises.
• Strengthen the AI industry network by deepening cooperation with professional investment institutions and establishing a rapid response mechanism for project selection and implementation.
• Form a specialized service team and a dedicated enterprise service mechanism.

2. Creating a premier AI scenario experience zone

• Promote the opening of application scenarios by exploring intelligent public services such as smart transportation, sports, water management, education, and healthcare, and supporting market-oriented initiatives, including smart manufacturing, intelligent business districts, digital finance, and smart shipping, further opening up opportunities to enterprises.
• Develop a digital twin town by implementing application scenario construction plans around the core area of Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town to form a "visible, usable, and imaginable" scenario matrix.
• Promote benchmark application scenarios by organizing AI scenario selection and publication activities to help companies expand markets and accelerate growth.
• Establish application scenario promotion entities, such as financial leasing companies and ecosystem operation companies, to connect R&D and scenarios in the AI industry chain.

3. Cultivating a high-efficiency AI entrepreneurship park

• Develop an AI innovation function platform by leveraging national strategic scientific and technological strengths around Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town to strengthen AI basic research and groundbreaking technology innovation.
• Build a multi-level entrepreneurial space by flexibly allocating space resources according to market demand, ensuring the availability of low-rent spaces.
• Enhance the impact of AI funds by leveraging Shanghai's fund of funds for three key industries (integrated circuits, biomedicine, and AI) alongside the leading area industrial development fund, while strengthening collaboration between the Shanghai Future-oriented Industrial Fund and universities and research institutes.
• Strengthen industrial collaborative development by promoting cooperation between on-device AI models and terminal enterprises to develop end-to-end, multimodal, and spatially intelligent algorithm models for embodied intelligence.

4. Fostering a select AI sci-tech innovation city

• Establish the Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town brand by systematically shaping the town's signage, enhancing block recognition and spatial experience, and establishing a regular communication mechanism focusing on AI tech innovation and industry frontiers.
• Build a quality urban area with integrated industry and urban life by linking industrial innovation spaces such as the Model Matrix Twin Towers, Model Matrix Community, and Model Matrix Island with commercial convention and exhibition facilities of the Model Matrix Field, and coordinating nearby talent housing and high-end residences.
• Develop a garden city with water and greenery by accelerating the "Smart Ring" water ring project to create a future vibrant waterfront integrating ecological restoration, culture, tourism, and sci-tech experiences.
• Create a convenient transportation system by constructing a high-density slow traffic system and underground passages, planning non-motor vehicle parking spaces, and implementing block micro-renewal step by step.

Source: Pudong New Area government

Note: The English text is for reference only. In case of any discrepancies, the Chinese version shall prevail.