Innovating Towards Economic Resilience: Lishui's Industrial Advancements
In the bustling high-tech zone of Lishui, Zhejiang Province, trucks laden with containers laden wait in line, ready for shipment to Ningbo Port. This scene encapsulates the industrious spirit and economic vitality currently defining this region.
One of the standout products being shipped is a newly developed fireproof vacuum cleaner, the result of indigenous innovation by Zhejiang Dongyi Magnetic Industry Co., Ltd. According to the company's general manager, Lü Jianfeng, these vacuum cleaners are destined for major supermarkets across Europe, where they hold a commanding 60% market share among similar products in the EU. Building on a solid foundation that saw the company achieve a production value of 150 million RMB last year, they have sustained growth of over 10% in the first half of this year.
Recent statistics reveal that Lishui City in Zhejiang Province recorded a 6.9% year-on-year increase in GDP in the first half of 2024, placing it second in growth rate within the province and surpassing national and provincial averages by 1.9 and 1.3 percentage points respectively.
Reflecting on this achievement, Li Jianjun, Director of the Lishui Statistics Bureau, attributes the city's success to balanced growth across the three main industries, with a notable contribution from large-scale industries that serve as stabilizing anchors for the economy. He emphasizes that Lishui's economic development is driven by robust dynamism and innovative vigor, largely stemming from strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing eco-industrial development and fostering new productive forces.
Sustainable Development in Action: How Lishui Nurtures New Economic Forces
The shift towards "new" industries and enhanced quality has been a hallmark of Lishui's economic strategy. In the first half of this year, core industries such as manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, and strategic emerging industries have shown robust growth. Industrial value added increased by 24.5% in manufacturing, 17.5% in equipment manufacturing, and 13.5% in high-tech industries, all ranking first in Zhejiang Province.
For the mountainous regions cultivating new productive forces, Wu Shunze, Secretary of the Lishui Municipal Party Committee, underscores the city's resilience in facing challenges. Leveraging its rich revolutionary heritage, Lishui integrates education, talent, and technology strategies, strengthening the construction of "three teams" (education, talent, and technology) and driving breakthroughs in development constraints through initiatives like "innovation, reform, and opening up" and the three "number one projects".
Since 2019, Lishui has seized opportunities in the national integrated circuit industry development, focusing on creating a semiconductor industrial chain led by integrated circuit materials and power devices.
The favorable ecological environment of Lishui plays a significant role in attracting investment and enhancing industrial competitiveness. A local semiconductor company representative highlighted how stringent environmental requirements are met, such as maintaining air quality with fewer than 100 particles of dust per cubic foot in Class 100 clean rooms and using ultra-pure water for cleaning.
Looking forward, Lishui continues to empower its economic development with green and ecological initiatives. According to Li Shun, Director of the Lishui Economic and Information Bureau, the semiconductor industry and traditional Chinese medicine health industry, which dominate Lishui's ecological industrial landscape, have formed clusters, laying a solid foundation for the development of new productive forces.
The Road Ahead: Strategies for Lishui's Continued Economic Expansion
In 2023, Liantou District formulated the "Beautiful and Healthy Industry Chain Upgrade Plan 2.0" and established a leading area for the beautiful and healthy industry in the "Sanjiangkou" Baiqiao Block, focusing on exploring regional development directions. This initiative has already attracted two projects with investments exceeding one billion RMB, totaling 2.95 billion RMB. Simultaneously, Lishui is actively developing strategic emerging industries and future industrial new tracks, such as smart transportation (low-altitude economy), artificial intelligence (metaverse), new energy, and new materials.
This year, Qingtian County, based on its advantages in the metaverse intelligent computing platform field, accelerated the formation of its industrial ecosystem, further promoting the integration and clustering of industries. The metaverse and its associated industries have surpassed a revenue threshold of one billion RMB in the first half of the year.
"To accelerate the construction of the Qingtian metaverse industry development ecology and consolidate the foundation of digital economic industry development, we continue to promote the development of the metaverse industry ecology from 'chains' to 'circles'," said Dai Huasen, head of the Qingtian Metaverse Special Team. Currently, Qingtian Innovation Empowerment Center cooperates with 34 companies, forming a database of 351 potential enterprises, gradually shifting towards precise investment promotion.
Meanwhile, in Songyang County, autonomous vehicles like the futuristic Wenyuan minibuses, with their precise automation operations, have caught the attention of many residents and tourists. This illustrates the numerous applications of smart transportation in the region.
Since 2021, Songyang County has focused on developing comprehensive transportation industries centered around smart transportation. "Unexpectedly, in less than three years, Songyang has realized so many smart transportation application scenarios," said Wang Yiming, Chairman of Dalezhihang (Zhejiang) Technology Co., Ltd., a local smart transportation software enterprise. Apart from managing operations at the Songyang Baidu Apollo Intelligent Transportation Ecological Alliance Innovation Center, the company has also facilitated the entry of more than ten technology companies into the region.
The promising development trends and favorable business environment have attracted major projects that embody new productive forces.
In 2010, Sichuan Kolen Pharmaceuticals restructured and acquired Zhejiang Guojing Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. in Longquan. Within just three years, this subsidiary, leveraging its environmental advantages, became Kolen's performance champion and star enterprise. Recognizing the ecological environment, industrial development, and business environment in Longquan, Kolen Pharmaceuticals and Longquan once again joined hands in July this year. The total investment of 2 billion RMB in Kolen Pharmaceuticals' high-end preparation and health food project officially settled in Longquan.
"Leapfrogging high-quality development is not something we wait for or just talk about; it's something we strive for and achieve!" Recently, at the Lishui City Second Quarter "Race Comparison and First Competition" exchange meeting, the Lishui Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government once again sounded the horn to create a technological innovation engine. They are determined to break through development constraints and accelerate "lane changing" while shaping new advantages in development.
