Published by ChinaMNC · Fengxian

Shanghai's Putuo District Links with 20 Top County Economies: A Practical Guide for Foreign Founders

Shanghai's Putuo District is deepening collaboration with 20 of China's top county economies along the Shanghai-Nanjing industrial innovation belt. For foreign founders, this means new opportunities to tap into manufacturing supply chains, R&D resources, and cross-city business support when registering or operating a company in China.

Shanghai's Putuo District Connects with Top County Economies: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

For foreign entrepreneurs looking to establish or expand a company in China, understanding regional integration trends can reveal valuable opportunities. A recent initiative by Putuo District in Shanghai highlights how the city is linking its scientific, educational, service, and market strengths with 20 of China's top county-level economies along the Shanghai-Nanjing industrial innovation belt. This collaboration aims to form chain-based synergies, cross-city sharing, and market linkages—offering practical pathways for foreign founders to access manufacturing supply chains and innovation resources.

The Shanghai-Nanjing Industrial Innovation Belt: A Golden Corridor

The Shanghai-Nanjing industrial innovation belt connects Shanghai with eight cities in Jiangsu Province: Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, and Taizhou. As the starting point of this "golden corridor," Putuo District is actively transforming its location advantage into a service for cities along the route, taking on the responsibility of coordinating various localities' needs to connect with Shanghai.

Notably, these eight cities are home to 20 of China's top 100 county-level economies. Since the beginning of this year, Putuo District leaders have led delegations to visit these counties, covering 17 so far. By extending collaborative innovation down to the county level, Putuo is tapping into dense manufacturing layouts and industrial supporting needs. When these counties combine with Shanghai's scientific and educational resources, professional services, and market channels, it fosters chain-based collaboration, cross-city sharing, and market linkages—key elements for foreign founders seeking reliable supply chain partners.

Bringing Specific Needs to Shanghai

Previously, seconded officials at the Shanghai-Nanjing Collaborative Innovation Center mostly came from municipal-level departments of the eight cities. Now, county-level officials from places like Jianye District in Nanjing, Changshu and Zhangjiagang in Suzhou, Tongzhou District in Nantong, and Xinghua and Jingjiang in Taizhou are gradually joining.

For example, Huan Rong from Yangzhong High-tech Zone explained that Yangzhong's intelligent electrical appliances account for 20-30% of the national market share. They hope to find projects spilling over from Shanghai and Suzhou and to address local shortcomings in electronic components. Wu Song, a staff member from Yangzhong Municipal Government, added that local demand for electronic components is large, mostly relying on procurement. They have long hoped for quality manufacturers to settle there and extend the supply chain.

Nearby, Wang Minyi, a seconded official from Zhangjiagang, has been working in Putuo since March. Over six months, she visited various parks and research institutes in Putuo, matching Zhangjiagang's industrial needs with Putuo's scientific and technological resources. With her team's efforts, an innovative elderly care service institution from Putuo will bring its "elderly Didi"-style stair-climbing machines, welfare vehicles, and escort service models to Zhangjiagang, cooperating with a local manufacturer. On October 28, Shanghai Tiandi Software Park signed an agreement with Zhangjiagang Culture, Commerce, and Tourism Group, further expanding the "circle of friends" along the Shanghai-Nanjing belt.

Why This Matters for Foreign Founders

For foreign founders, these collaborations mean greater transparency and access to industrial resources. As Lu Hai, deputy director of Putuo District's Regional Coordinating Development Office, noted, cooperation often fails not because there is no demand, but because parties don't know what resources the other has or whom to contact when problems arise. Government leader exchanges and official secondments address mutual understanding and communication, help build trust, and shorten coordination chains. On this basis, Putuo promotes park pairings, extending cooperation to industrial carriers. County and park officials bring demand lists closer to enterprises: which components rely on external procurement, which links need technical support, and what projects can complement local industries. Bringing these questions to Shanghai helps match specific enterprises and links.

Park Partnerships: A Gateway for Foreign Enterprises

Parks are the main carriers of county-level industrial clusters. In April this year, Putuo District leaders led a delegation to Zhenjiang, signing agreements with two county-level cities, Danyang and Yangzhong. Four parks within these two cities signed cooperation agreements, extending park cooperation from municipal industrial zones, development zones, and high-tech zones down to county-level parks.

Shanghai Tiandi Software Park, located in Changzheng Town, Putuo, currently has seven partner parks in Tongzhou District (Nantong), Hailing District (Taizhou), Xinghua City (Taizhou), Taizhou Medical High-tech Zone (Gaogang), Yangzhou Ecological Technology New City, Runzhou District (Zhenjiang), and Zhangjiagang City (Suzhou).

Close cooperation among partner parks directly benefits enterprises. Optech started in Tiandi Software Park and has grown rapidly with the park's policy and service support. On October 13, Haian Optech Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. opened in Haian Chengdong Industrial Park, Nantong. Gu Xiaohong, Vice President of Optech, said: "The value of the Shanghai-Nanjing industrial innovation belt is to let enterprises 'maintain R&D sharpness in Shanghai and gain growth thickness along the route.'"

Maiteng Innovation, a science and technology park operator in Taopu, brought its methodology to Rugao, Nantong, introduced Sanli Automation Equipment Co., Ltd., which focuses on laboratory automation, and actively connected with local leading shipyard Jiangsu Haitong to jointly build a "Marine Industry Joint Laboratory" to tackle ship welding seam inspection. "Our relationship with Maiteng's Shanghai headquarters is not about moving low-end production capacity spilled from Shanghai, but about bringing advanced experience in science and technology services," said Ding Li, general manager of Maiteng Innovation's Nantong region. Involving county-level industries in innovation not only helps mature manufacturing find new technologies but also provides clear application directions for advanced technologies. Shanghai's technology and service providers also gain opportunities to expand business and enhance capabilities while responding to these needs.

On October 28, at the themed side event of the Shanghai-Nanjing partner parks, it was announced that the Xintai Center building committee will establish rotating committee members, with each partner park taking turns every three months to lead activities as the host, with Changzheng Town providing venue, traffic, and supporting facilities. The rotating arrangement provides continuous docking opportunities for partner parks. Representatives from Xinghua Park want to hold special events on health food and high-end equipment; Yangzhou Park representatives want to hold special events on computing power and AI collaboration; Zhenjiang Park representatives hope for "pre-matched information, ready to connect upon arrival."

Financial Support: Bridging Cross-City Operations

As industrial collaboration reaches the county level, financial support must keep pace. In May this year, Dong Jiahao, assistant general manager of the business department at Bank of Jiangsu Shanghai Branch, moved his desk into the Shanghai-Nanjing Collaborative Innovation Center, becoming the only resident representative from a financial institution. He introduced that Bank of Jiangsu Shanghai Branch has hosted multiple county-level investment promotion and project matching events. After projects are signed and landed, local sub-branches seamlessly take over, forming a closed loop of "negotiating projects in Shanghai, landing factories in counties, and banks following throughout." Currently, Bank of Jiangsu Shanghai Branch has established regular linkage mechanisms with branches in Taixing (Taizhou), Yixing (Wuxi), Zhangjiagang (Suzhou), and other places.

Not long ago, a small optoelectronic technology company faced tight funds for order stocking. Its production and guarantee entities were in Fenhu, Wujiang, Suzhou, while its headquarters was in Putuo, Shanghai. Bank of Jiangsu Shanghai Branch and Suzhou branches coordinated, synchronizing insurance verification and joint due diligence across locations, completing loan disbursement within 24 hours, achieving "acceleration" in Shanghai-Jiangsu linkage.

Since the beginning of this year, Bank of Jiangsu Shanghai Branch has also regularly held "I Watch the Su Super League in Shanghai" second-site events and "Su Products and Goods Enter Shanghai" activities at Global Harbor. Using Su Super League match days as opportunities, they invited cultural troupes such as Wuxi Xiju Opera Theater and Huai'an Huaiju Opera Troupe to perform in Shanghai, and organized nearly 200 Jiangsu county-level agricultural product merchants to exhibit and sell in Shanghai, which was well received by Shanghai citizens.

Intellectual Support: Research and Recommendations

Intellectual support is also descending. During the summer vacation this year, East China Normal University (ECNU) led a research project on "Shanghai-Nanjing County-Level Economic and Industrial Linkage," with seven professor teams from seven universities and research institutions along the route participating. They visited 20 top 100 counties and 100 key enterprises, focusing on integrated circuits, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and related advanced manufacturing.

Zhang Weiyang, a professor at ECNU's School of Geographic Sciences and the project leader, suggested: "We should make good use of the cooperation window of two-way enclaves between Shanghai and the Shanghai-Nanjing belt to form project connections of 'Shanghai interface + along-the-route base.' Build an information platform for Shanghai-Nanjing industrial linkage so that enterprises can find supporting facilities, technologies, and scenarios, and governments can clearly see each other's industrial advantages. At the same time, leverage market forces to form industrial alliances around specific tracks. Enterprises using pilot testing and testing resources across cities—can support policies be connected, can benefits and costs be coordinated; talent working in both places—can public services be continued... Solving these specific problems at the policy level will make cooperation more stable and effective."

Practical Implications for Foreign Founders

For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, these developments offer several practical takeaways:

• Access to manufacturing supply chains: The 20 top county economies along the belt are home to dense manufacturing clusters. Foreign companies can tap into these clusters for components, OEM production, and industrial partnerships.
• R&D and innovation resources: Shanghai's scientific and educational strengths, combined with county-level manufacturing capabilities, create a "R&D in Shanghai, production along the belt" model that foreign founders can replicate.
• Cross-city financial support: Banks like Bank of Jiangsu are facilitating cross-city operations, making it easier for companies with headquarters in Shanghai and factories in counties to manage finances.
• Park partnerships: Partner parks provide soft-landing services, matchmaking, and networking opportunities. Foreign founders can leverage these parks to find local partners and navigate regulations.
• Government-backed coordination: The secondment of officials and regular exchanges reduce information asymmetry and build trust, which can help foreign founders overcome bureaucratic hurdles.

By understanding these regional integration efforts, foreign entrepreneurs can better position their China operations to benefit from the synergies between Shanghai and its surrounding manufacturing powerhouses.

Call to Action: Foreign founders interested in registering or operating a company in China can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for expert assistance.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.