Zhangjiang Science City. [Photo/WeChat ID: pdnews]

As it marks its 34th anniversary, Shanghai's Zhangjiang Science City is stepping up efforts to become a world-class science hub, fueled by robust growth in its pillar industries and faster commercialization of cutting-edge technologies.

Over the past 34 years, Zhangjiang has transitioned from an agricultural economy into one of China's leading innovation hubs. It now hosts around 24,000 enterprises, with core strengths in integrated circuits, biomedicine and artificial intelligence.

According to the Zhangjiang Science City Construction Management Office, the three industries generated 82.2 billion yuan (about $11.4 billion) in industrial output in the first half of 2026, up 14.8 percent year on year. In 2025, their combined value exceeded 462.6 billion yuan, accounting for 22 percent of Shanghai's total in those sectors.

Zhangjiang continues to speed up the commercialization of new technologies. At Zhangjiang Robot Valley, embodied AI company Qiyuan Robotics recently established its headquarters for the research and industrialization of humanoid robots. At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the company unveiled the world's first personal robot, Qiyuan Q1, and the first transformable personal robot, Qiyuan T1.

To support robotics startups, Zhangjiang has launched China's first one-stop supply chain service platform for embodied intelligence, covering design, manufacturing, testing and maintenance. The platform aims to help companies match suppliers in one day, build prototypes in three days and begin trial production within a week.

The city is also expanding support for AI innovation with subsidies for computing power, AI models and data, as well as industry funds totaling 15 billion yuan for AI, embodied intelligence and future industries.

Innovation is also reaching the market faster. In July, a patient with a spinal cord injury became the first in the world to receive a clinically approved implanted brain-computer interface system developed by Zhangjiang-based Neuracle Medical.

Today, Zhangjiang is home to nearly 2,000 high-tech enterprises, 83 multinational regional headquarters, and 197 foreign-funded R&D centers. It has also attracted around 500,000 innovation professionals, with more than 70 percent working in its three leading industries.