The Zhangjiagang City New Industrialization Promotion Conference and "Artificial Intelligence+" Innovation Development Conference was held on Jan 5, positioning itself at the forefront of high-quality development in the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The conference unveiled the 2026 action plan for industry, which focuses on the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and the cultivation of new-quality productive forces. It has targeted an industrial output value above designated size in excess of 600 billion yuan ($86.61 billion) by 2026, with a growth rate of 3.3 percent. The goal for industrial investment is to have this surpass 30 billion yuan, which would mark an annual growth rate of 7.1 percent.
The plan builds on the industrial development foundation of Zhangjiagang during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). Over the past five years, the city has added over 370 new industrial enterprises above designated size, with the total industrial output value increasing by 20.9 percent compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).
The conference also honored the top 15 enterprises with outstanding achievements in manufacturing output, investment, and technological innovation over the past five years.
Zhang Liuyu, director and vice-president of Yongzhuo Holdings, one of the honored companies at the conference, said: "As a leading enterprise in Zhangjiagang, we will continue to increase investment and advance digital transformation and intelligent upgrades, striving to contribute fully to the 600-billion-yuan target."
"AI + manufacturing" was a central theme of the conference. During the event, Zhangjiagang's AI Company and the AI Industry Association were established. Companies like Yongzhuo Holdings and Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment shared their experiences of intelligent transformation, showcasing the benefits of AI in terms of how it can empower the entire industrial manufacturing process from research and development to production and maintenance.
Zhangjiagang also plans to foster a fertile ground for development through platform building and service optimization, which includes integrating resources to create an "Intelligent Harbor", deepening government-enterprise communication, and promoting data reform, thereby supporting the achievement of the 600-billion-yuan target with a high-quality ecosystem.
An aerial view of Zhangjiagang. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]