Yangpu in fast lane for digital transformation

From an old industrial zone to a digital economy cluster, Yangpu District has embarked on a road of innovation and transformation.

One of the latest moves was a metaverse contest that was held in July. Technology firms and college students participated in the creation of many scenarios that will come into being in the GKIC (Great Knowledge and Innovation Community) park in Yangpu at the end of the year.

GKIC, the country's first digital park, is the highlight of the GKIC Green Axis that is being built near the district's university block.

Borrowing the idea of the High Line Park in Manhattan, New York, Yangpu aims to make it an axis integrating work, culture, leisure, arts and sports while promoting the cooperation between local enterprises, residents, workers and operators.

It is part of Yangpu's ambitious digital transformation.

To inspire the new momentum of the digital economy, the district strives to create the landmarks of "one belt, one zone, one circle" to boost agglomerated development of digital economy industries.

"One belt" is the "Changyang Hub" online new economy ecological park, "one zone" is the GKIC digital innovation practice area and "one circle" refers to the area around Tongji University.

Besides the digital transformation, Yangpu has spared no efforts in innovation over the past 10 years.

All the efforts are paying off.

This year, Yangpu took the city's lead to become a national experimental base to pilot intelligent social governance.

In May 2020, it was listed by the China Association for Science and Technology among the first "Innovation China" cities (districts), becoming the only district in Shanghai to win the honor.

In December 2016, it was included in the list of innovative cities (districts) by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission. Half a year earlier, it became one of the first mass entrepreneurship and innovation demonstration bases in China.

In May 2015, it was designated as a major site for Shanghai to carry out its science and innovation center program.

In the decade from 2012 to 2021, Yangpu's GDP jumped from 123.5 billion yuan (US$17.3 billion) to 195.1 billion yuan, with fiscal revenue doubling from 7.1 billion yuan to 14.3 billion yuan.