Representatives of SND unveil new innovation centers in Shanghai on March 7. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]

The 2023 Suzhou New District Investment Promotion Conference was held in Shanghai on March 7.

During the conference, officials unveiled new innovation centers and signed contracts for 52 high-tech projects with a total investment of 30.6 billion yuan ($4.8 billion).

The projects cover industries such as medical devices, biomedicine, integrated circuits, and high-end equipment manufacturing.

The SND Industrial Facility Map, which collects information on industrial innovation cluster carriers such as photonics, high-end medical devices, integrated circuits, software, and information technology, was also released at the conference.

SND has in recent years deepened cooperation with Shanghai in areas such as economic development and scientific innovation.

Alessandra Palumbo, Commercial Counselor of the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, speaks during the conference on March 7. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]

The conference was attended by foreign guests including Alessandra Palumbo, Commercial Counselor of the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai.

Suzhou has about 150 Italian companies and is Italy's largest manufacturing area outside Europe, according to Palumbo. She thanked SND for supporting Italian companies and said she hopes SND can continue to cooperate with Italy in commerce and culture.