Nestled where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea, Nantong has long been celebrated as the birthplace of China’s modern national industry. A century after blazing trails in industrialization, this coastal city is undergoing a dramatic transformation—trading legacy for innovation, scale for precision, and emerging as a global contender in advanced manufacturing. Fueled by strategic investments, digital overhauls, and a business ecosystem tailored for growth, Nantong is no longer just a historical footnote but a dynamic model of China’s "new-type industrialization" push.
Industrial Expansion: From Quantity to Quality
Over the past five years, Nantong’s industrial landscape has shifted dramatically. The number of large-scale industrial enterprises has jumped from 5,262 to 7,495, while their output has grown at an annual rate of 8.7%—outperforming Jiangsu Province’s average by nearly a full percentage point. By 2025, industrial sales hit 1.75 trillion yuan ($244 billion), a 5.4% year-on-year increase, and the sector now accounts for nearly half of the city’s GDP growth.
What sets Nantong apart is its focus on cluster development. Six key sectors—shipbuilding and marine engineering, electronic information, high-end textiles, advanced equipment, new materials, and renewable energy—have each surpassed 100 billion yuan in output, with a combined value exceeding 1.3 trillion yuan. The city’s shipbuilding industry claims 10% of China’s total output, while its marine engineering sector commands a quarter of the national market, producing over 40 landmark projects including the world’s largest FLNG carrier. Major investments have poured in, from a 50-billion-yuan new materials complex by CNPC to Scania’s state-of-the-art production base, cementing Nantong’s role as a magnet for high-value manufacturing.
Innovation and Digitalization: The New Growth Engines
Nantong’s reinvention is driven by a relentless focus on innovation. Local firms are leading the charge: Jianghai Capacitors, a global leader in its field, invests 220 million yuan annually in R&D, while Jiangsu Haixin Shipyard dominates 57.3% of its domestic market segment thanks to breakthroughs in marine technology. The city has built a network of 40 high-level innovation platforms, including a national center for manufacturing innovation commercialization, and secured 320 million yuan in national funding for tech-driven projects. Tax incentives have put 868 million yuan back into the pockets of over 1,400 enterprises, freeing up capital for further innovation.
Digital transformation has been equally aggressive. Named one of China’s top 20 intelligent manufacturing cities, Nantong has rolled out over 20,000 digital upgrade projects, building 13 national-level smart factories and 27 5G-enabled production facilities. With 27,000 5G base stations and computing power exceeding 34,000 PFlops, the city has laid the groundwork for AI-driven production, smart logistics, and data-driven decision-making—turning traditional factories into high-tech hubs.
A Business Ecosystem Built for Success
Nantong’s rise is also fueled by its business-friendly policies. The city’s "Everything Goes Smoothly" initiative, refined through four iterations, has created a streamlined environment for enterprises. An AI-powered platform connects 47,000 registered businesses with 4,604 policies, distributing 15.3 billion yuan in subsidies with minimal red tape. It’s no surprise Nantong was named one of China’s top 10 innovative business environments in 2024-2025.
This ecosystem has nurtured a new generation of corporate leaders: 33 national manufacturing champions, 232 specialized "little giant" enterprises, and 16 firms with annual revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan, including Zhongtian Technology, which has joined the trillion-yuan club.
Ambitious Plans for the Next Decade
Looking ahead, Nantong has set its sights even higher. By 2030, the city aims to double its number of billion-dollar revenue enterprises to over 30, while growing its key industrial clusters to 2 trillion yuan in output. Infrastructure upgrades will play a key role: four new cross-river channels will create an "eight dragons crossing the river" transportation network, and a new airport will deepen integration with Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta. The city plans to attract 2,000 sci-tech projects annually and 500,000 young talents over five years, while investing in education, healthcare, and environmental protection to create a livable, sustainable metropolis.
For Nantong, the journey from industrial pioneer to tech-driven powerhouse is more than just economic growth—it’s a reinvention. By honoring its industrial heritage while embracing innovation, this "River-Sea Pearl" is proving that traditional manufacturing hubs can evolve into global leaders in the 21st century. As China pushes forward with its industrial modernization, Nantong stands as a compelling example of how vision, investment, and adaptability can turn history into future success.