Nanjing Jiangbei New Area soars to historic heights

Innovative district brings growth and new industry to ancient capital

Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, was the nation's capital for more than 450 years, and its 2,500 years of history runs deeply through the city's veins. However, Nanjing is not resting on its past glories and is instead forging a new path.

Nanjing's Jiangbei New Area is a shining example of the city's potential for expansion, especially in the intelligent manufacturing and cutting-edge technology sectors.

Established in June 2015, the new area covers an area of 788 square kilometers and boasts a group of State-level and provincial industrial parks such as the Nanjing New and High Technology Industry Development Zone and the Nanjing Cross-Strait Technology Industry Park.

Located at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the country's eastern economic powerhouses, the new area is aimed at pushing forward the development of the Yangtze River Delta region, thus creating a new growth engine in China's coastal regions.

Over the past three years, the new area has been gathering momentum for growth.

In 2015, its GDP was 146.5 billion yuan ($21.1 billion). One year later, this number hit 183.9 billion yuan, an increase of 25 percent, putting the new area in the second place among all State-level new areas in terms of the growth rate.

In 2017, its GDP topped 200 billion yuan with major economic indicators above the average of both the province and the city.

According to the director of the emerging industry office of the region's economic development bureau, the integrated circuit industry is maintaining exponential growth and its annual output is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan in 2018.

The area has enjoyed stable economic growth from January to September. Its GDP in the past three quarters increased by 13 percent.