How innovation-driven development fuels economic growth in eastern coastal provinces

by Xinhua writers Wu Qiong, Tang Shining

BEIJING, June 20 (Xinhua) -- As China accelerates its high-quality development drive, innovation has emerged as the cornerstone of economic transformation. Eastern coastal powerhouse provinces like Zhejiang and Jiangsu are at the forefront of this shift, harnessing cutting-edge technologies to empower industrial upgrades and green transformation.

From humanoid robots streamlining assembly lines to AI-driven hardware and advanced gene sequencing systems, innovation is reshaping both traditional industries and high-tech sectors in Jiangsu Province, a vanguard in China's industrial upgrades with digitalization.

At MagicLab's facility in the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu, a 1.75-meter humanoid robot executes complete gluing automation -- retrieving components from trays, applying precise coatings and offloading finished products. "Every movement is optimized through real-time operational data and machine learning algorithms," said Wu Changzheng, president of MagicLab Robotics Technology Co., Ltd.

This system has entirely replaced manual work while also adapting to speed adjustments, a company staff member revealed. The technology, already deployed in appliance factories, is expected to be applied across industrial, commercial and household environments -- thereby addressing diverse sector needs, according to the company.

Notably, the AI revolution extends beyond factories. AISpeech, a leading conversational AI solutions provider based in Suzhou, develops digital assistant robots that are transforming sectors including fintech, government services and retail.

Government support for AI initiatives and Suzhou's comprehensive industrial ecosystem have been crucial to the company's growth, said Yu Kai, co-founder and chief scientist of AISpeech. He noted Suzhou's backing of electric and intelligent vehicles, which has created opportunities for his company's smart hardware division, particularly in AI applications for electric vehicles.

A robust industrial chain in the AI and digital industry is taking shape in Suzhou Industrial Park, where AISpeech is based. By the end of 2024, this park had attracted over 1,800 enterprises operating in the sector, with total output value exceeding 110 billion yuan (about 15.34 billion U.S. dollars), the administrative committee of the park said.

The transformative impact of AI on Jiangsu's bio-pharma sector, meanwhile, is exemplified by next-generation gene sequencing technology developed in Nanjing Biotech and Pharmaceutical Valley. "Our core algorithms, powered by deep learning, convert raw image data into precise DNA sequences, achieving unprecedented efficiency and accuracy," said Zhou Zhiliang, president and CEO of GeneMind.

In Zhejiang Province, a synergy between technological innovation and green development is being crafted, injecting more vitality into the transition from old to new growth drivers in this economic giant, said Xu Wenguang, executive vice governor of Zhejiang.

Automaker Geely, based in the provincial capital Hangzhou, is spearheading a carbon-neutral mobility revolution. Geely's methanol-hydrogen ecosystem, featuring the world's first dedicated methanol engine with a record 48.15 percent thermal efficiency, will debut later this year through new hybrid sedans and SUVs, the company revealed.

As China's new energy sector grows, Tianneng, a leading company in battery recycling, is addressing resource sustainability while boosting industrial efficiency. The company's recycling network processes 1.7 million tonnes of batteries annually, said Wang Hengli, head of corporate communications at Tianneng Holding Group.

In other emerging industries in Zhejiang, digital empowerment is also revolutionizing traditional industries and fueling green development. Hangzhou Iron & Steel Group has transformed from steel production into a digital economy hub, while Shaoxing's Keqiao textile district, once reliant on polluting dyeing vats, now leads in green and high-end manufacturing through digitalization and smart production technologies, Xu explained.

China is in a critical period of industrial upgrades, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) spokesperson Fu Linghui said Monday. As innovation's leading role continues to deepen, new growth drivers such as high-end manufacturing, the digital economy, and the new energy industry have been growing steadily, promoting industrial transformation and stable economic operation, Fu noted.

In May, the added value of high-tech manufacturing enterprises increased by 8.6 percent year on year, with the growth pace higher than the industrial average. Green development also gained pace as the output of new energy vehicles and solar cells increased by 31.7 percent and 27.8 percent respectively, maintaining a high growth rate, the NBS data shows.

Looking ahead, with Zhejiang targeting R&D intensity of 3.5 percent and 70 percent high-tech industrial output from 2026 to 2030, and Jiangsu vowing to build world-class manufacturing clusters, these Chinese powerhouses aren't just keeping pace with global trends -- they are, in fact, setting the pace in some sectors.

"Our five-year vision? To go from leading in China to establishing a truly global footprint," said Yu. ■