Shanghai: Accelerate the cultivation of industries such as silicon photonics, 6G, fourth-generation semiconductors, and brain-like intelligence

On Saturday, the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government issued a notice on "Several Measures to Accelerate the Promotion of Frontier Technology Innovation and Future Industry Cultivation" and held a press conference to introduce relevant measures.

Shanghai: Accelerating the Cultivation of Industries such as Silicon Photonics, 6G, Fourth-Generation Semiconductors, and Brain-like Intelligence

Qu Wei, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, revealed at the press conference that Shanghai is focusing on six major directions: future manufacturing, future information, future materials, future energy, future space, and future health. The city will plan reasonably, promote in layers, and cultivate precisely at three levels: near, medium, and long term. Specific areas include: developing and strengthening fields such as cell and gene therapy, brain-computer interfaces, biomanufacturing, and embodied intelligence, with a focus on supporting cost reduction, improving accessibility, and building industrial ecosystems; accelerating the cultivation of fields such as silicon photonics, 6G, fourth-generation semiconductors, and brain-like intelligence, with a focus on supporting product design optimization, expanding application scenarios, and verifying market value; and accelerating the layout of frontier fields such as quantum technology, controllable nuclear fusion, and regenerative medicine, with a focus on tackling technical challenges, converging technical routes, and verifying product feasibility.

Cultivating About 20 Leading Enterprises in Future Industry Ecosystems

Qu Wei, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, revealed at the press conference that Shanghai aims to break through a number of frontier disruptive technologies by 2027, systematically layout and build a number of future industry clusters, and cultivate about 20 leading enterprises in future industry ecosystems. By 2030, the city aims to cultivate and grow a number of future industries, promoting the formation of several strategic emerging industries, and becoming a globally influential leader in future industries.

Planning to Create a National-Level Future Industry Pilot Zone

Qu Wei, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, revealed at the press conference that based on the industrial potential and scale of key areas, the Shanghai municipal and district governments are jointly planning to build future industry clusters. Currently, Shanghai has initiated the construction of several future industry clusters in areas such as Pudong, Minhang, Yangpu, and Lingang, and is planning to create a national-level future industry pilot zone, formulating special policies to support the high-quality development of the pilot zone.

The following is the full text of the notice:

Several Measures to Accelerate the Promotion of Frontier Technology Innovation and Future Industry Cultivation

To accelerate frontier technology innovation and future industry cultivation, forming several future industry clusters with outstanding innovation source capabilities and strong radiation driving effects, and to make Shanghai a globally influential leader in future industries, the following measures are formulated.

1. Focus on Key Development Areas

Focusing on directions such as future manufacturing, future information, future materials, future energy, future space, and future health, and combining industrial foundations and resource endowments, Shanghai will plan reasonably and cultivate future industries precisely. The city will develop and strengthen fields such as cell and gene therapy, brain-computer interfaces, biomanufacturing, and embodied intelligence, with a focus on supporting cost reduction, improving accessibility, and building industrial ecosystems, accelerating product engineering and industrialization. It will accelerate the cultivation of fourth-generation semiconductors, silicon-based optoelectronics, sixth-generation mobile communications, and brain-like intelligence, with a focus on supporting product design optimization, expanding application scenarios, and verifying market value, and accelerating the research of prototype models or samples. It will accelerate the layout of fields such as quantum technology, controllable nuclear fusion, and regenerative medicine, with a focus on tackling technical challenges, converging technical routes, and conducting product research and feasibility verification of technical solutions II. Strengthening Support for Key Links

(1) Accelerate breakthroughs in cutting-edge disruptive technology innovation. Grasp global trends in technological innovation and industrial development, focus on high-risk, high-value major scientific issues, and accelerate the layout and implementation of special projects for cutting-edge disruptive technologies. Establish a non-consensus project screening mechanism and increase support for cross-domain technological integration and innovation. Relying on the project manager team, support top global scientists and entrepreneurs with core intellectual property to conduct cutting-edge disruptive technology research in Shanghai.

(2) Strengthen the tackling of key core technologies. Support the project manager team to be product-oriented, develop cultivation plans and task lists around key areas, and organize national strategic scientific and technological forces, innovative enterprises, and other parties to carry out joint tackling efforts, implementing a "milestone" full lifecycle project management and dynamic optimization adjustment mechanism. For key areas, research and layout municipal major scientific and technological special projects, providing support through direct subsidies, capital injections, and other means.

(3) Accelerate the incubation and transformation of innovative achievements. Support the construction and operation of high-quality incubators, providing up to 20 million yuan in support as stipulated. Support high-quality incubators to collaborate with universities, research institutions, and technology enterprises to strengthen professional service capabilities, improve functional service systems, and establish concept verification funds. Support the construction of professional service platform institutions such as concept verification platforms, pilot test platforms, and common technology R&D platforms, providing up to 30 million yuan in support as stipulated.

III. Stimulating Corporate Innovation Vitality

(4) Cultivate and expand technology innovation enterprises. Support leading technology enterprises in future industrial ecosystems to proactively plan new tracks, accelerating investment and incubation of innovative entities in future industries. Focus on key development areas, providing special support as stipulated for ecosystem-leading technology enterprises with significant innovation investment, strong industry influence, and remarkable leading effects. Support technology innovation enterprises to continuously increase basic research investment and strengthen technological reserves, providing a one-time subsidy of up to 10 million yuan as stipulated.

(5) Optimize the growth ecosystem for technology enterprises. Build a gradient cultivation system for innovative enterprises in future industries covering the startup, growth, and maturity stages, accelerating the introduction and cultivation of a batch of technology enterprises with core technologies and innovation capabilities, and supporting the growth of technology-based SMEs, specialized and innovative SMEs, high-growth technology enterprises, and high-tech enterprises. For eligible "small to standard" and "standard to strong" enterprises, provide a one-time reward of up to 500,000 yuan as stipulated. Provide funding for enterprises that increase R&D expenditure, expand R&D and production scale, and transform new technologies and products in key links.

IV. Building High Grounds for Industrial Clusters

(6) Construct future industry agglomeration areas. Based on the development potential and scale of key industry areas, the city and districts work together to create key areas for future industry agglomeration with highly concentrated industrial elements, efficient and close industrial interactions, complete innovation ecosystems, advanced infrastructure, and sound governance systems. For eligible future industry agglomeration area construction entities, provide up to 20 million yuan in support as stipulated. Support key area innovation entities to create world-influential brand academic industry exchanges and competition events. Support technology innovation enterprises or institutions to hold industry-influential future industry innovation and entrepreneurship activities, participate in or organize participation in important overseas exhibitions, providing funding support of no more than 50% of the relevant expenses for eligible enterprises or institutions as stipulated (7) Create national-level future industry pilot zones. Focused on the construction of future industry clusters as the core function, plan to create national-level future industry pilot zones. Support the regions where the pilot zones are located to focus on the leading direction of future industry development, research and formulate special policies suitable for industrial development, and provide support in areas such as the establishment of industrial funds, tackling key technologies, landing major projects, and attracting core talents through collaboration between cities and districts. Encourage each district to explore unique future industry development models, accelerate the cultivation of high-level future industry innovation teams, build high-energy innovation platforms, and produce strategic technological achievements that help form future competitive advantages.

1. Optimize core element guarantees

(8) Accelerate the application of innovative products. In government procurement, legally and in accordance with regulations, adopt measures such as mandatory procurement, priority procurement, first purchase orders, and publishing demand standards to support the large-scale application of eligible innovative products in multiple fields, promoting the application and iterative upgrading of innovative products. Increase support for the first set, first batch, and first version policies for future industries, providing support of no more than 30% of the contract amount, with a maximum of 20 million yuan for eligible innovative products.

(9) Strengthen application scenario traction. Promote various entities to develop and open a batch of experimental verification scenarios, demonstration application scenarios, and large-scale commercial application scenarios, using scenario applications to drive the iterative upgrading of future technologies, the maturity and standardization of future products, and the innovative development of future industry enterprises. Relying on major scientific and technological tasks and key projects, proactively design and plan a batch of high-value major application scenarios for future industries. Support various innovative entities to jointly create exemplary application scenarios for future industries with government departments and enterprises, providing support of up to 8 million yuan for eligible scenario construction tasks.

(10) Strengthen multi-level financial support. Leverage the leverage effect and guiding role of fiscal funds, accelerate the construction of a diversified investment system led by government investment, primarily supported by enterprise investment, and backed by financial institutions. Utilize the guiding role of future industry funds, adopting a "direct investment + sub-fund investment" model to build an investment incubation ecosystem that aligns with cutting-edge disruptive technology innovation, and collaborate with project management teams to optimize investment layout and resource allocation. Continuously optimize financial and tax support policies such as financing for listing, premium subsidies, and loan interest subsidies, and strengthen all-cycle, diversified financial support for innovative enterprises in future industries, supporting technology-based enterprises that achieve breakthroughs in key core technologies to go public and raise funds.

(11) Improve talent attraction and incentive guarantees. Cultivate multi-level talent teams, create an "open innovation community" and "entrepreneur alliance" for scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors, forming a multi-level communication network. Support the incubation and transformation of research results by young scientists, collaborate with domestic and foreign institutions to promote cross-border talent exchange, and enhance innovation capabilities. Support high-quality enterprises in future industries to be included in key talent introduction institutions in Shanghai. For core R&D personnel in key areas of future industries, provide support of up to 500,000 yuan according to regulations.

(12) Encourage global innovation cooperation. Support the establishment of international innovation alliances for future industries in key areas, actively participate in the formulation of international governance rules and international standards. Support the research and formulation of internationally influential standards, intellectual property, and other projects, providing support of up to 2 million yuan for eligible projects according to regulations. Encourage local enterprises, research institutions, incubators, and others to deeply participate in the global division of future industries Support multinational companies and foreign institutions to establish cutting-edge technology innovation centers in Shanghai.

VI. Build a Dynamic Cultivation System

(13) Establish a dynamic identification, evaluation, and adjustment mechanism. Relying on the Science and Technology Strategic Decision-Making Advisory Committee and expert groups in key areas, regularly forecast and assess future key directions of industries, and provide strategic consulting advice on a regular basis. Dynamically scan global cutting-edge technological advancements, continuously monitor and evaluate future industry development trends, identify and select key areas for future industry development, compare and optimize technological routes, and timely adjust and optimize strategic layouts.

(14) Establish a "four-in-one" cultivation mechanism. Build a "four-in-one" future industry cultivation mechanism that focuses on project manager teams, breakthrough key task lists, empowerment from future industry funds, and support from future industry clusters. The Municipal Science and Technology Commission and other departments will establish a project manager team and implement a full lifecycle project management mechanism led by project managers, supporting the project manager team to build a precise, efficient, and collaborative toolbox of industrial policy tools in response to the technological innovation and development needs of future industries. Establish a key task list around the creation of iconic products, industrial chain security, major project investments, important platform construction, key talent introduction, and reform measures, and build an industrial ecological network driven by future industry funds, strengthen the spatial layout centered on future industry clusters, and promote industrial cluster development.

(15) Strengthen overall coordination. The Municipal Science and Technology Commission, together with the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Economic and Information Commission, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Education Commission, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Municipal Talent Bureau, Municipal Planning and Resources Bureau, Shanghai Guotou Company, and other departments and units will work together according to their functional divisions to promote the cultivation of future industries. Explore the establishment and improvement of a sandbox regulatory system, accelerate the reform and innovation of a regulatory system for future industries that encourages innovation and is flexible and inclusive. Establish and improve the relay cultivation and promotion mechanism for future industry development and strategic emerging industries.

This measure will be implemented from September 26, 2025, and will be valid until September 25, 2030. If there are overlaps with other municipal policies, they will be executed according to the principles of preferential treatment, higher standards, and non-repetition.

Original source: Shanghai Municipal People's Government Office

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