During the peak of summer, economic activity surges. Newly released data shows that in the first half of the year, Changzhou achieved a regional GDP of 535.41 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%, with main economic indicators maintaining steady growth.
In the Changzhou Binjiang Economic Development Zone, the ArcelorMittal-China Oriental Group new energy soft magnetic material project, with a total investment of USD 2 billion, is accelerating towards its target of commencing production in 2027. Meanwhile, at the Changzhou Science and Education City, Professor Wang Jun, a Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute in the UK, brought his 'Large Discovery Model' – an AI system that can conduct experiments and develop new drugs like a senior scientist, which has already been trialed in industries such as chemicals and biomedicine.
From the 'steel bones' of manufacturing giants to the 'smartest brains' of top AI scientists, these different yet equally vibrant development pulses interweave to paint a picture of Changzhou's economy operating stably and improving in the first half of 2026.
Manufacturing as the Foundation, Strengthening the Economy's 'Ballast Stone'
Industry is the backbone of Changzhou's economy. In the first half of the year, the added value of industries above a designated size in the city increased by 5.9% year-on-year, and industrial electricity consumption grew by 7.9%. Industrial momentum is accelerating its transformation, with new growth drivers maintaining rapid expansion. During the period, the output value of the new energy manufacturing sector grew by 8.7%, with the output value of power and energy storage batteries and new-type power equipment rising by 36.0% and 10.9%, respectively.
At the Li Auto Changzhou base, robotic arms operate day and night, and underground parts tunnels run efficiently. In the first half of the year, the city's production of new energy vehicles reached 410,000 units. In the Zhonglou District, six leading industries, accounting for over 85% of the industrial output above designated size, served as growth pillars. The new-type power equipment and new-generation information technology sectors showed significant growth, providing strong momentum. In the Changzhou Economic Development Zone, productive service industry projects such as ATE Testing and Inspection are fully operational, with testing orders booked through October.
With both quantitative and qualitative improvements, the underlying strength of Changzhou's industrial economy becomes increasingly evident amidst transformation and upgrading, bolstering the 'hard backbone' of the city's high-quality development.
AI Empowerment, Competing on the 'New Track' of Industry
The National Agent Developer Conference, the Wu Wenjun Artificial Intelligence Innovation Conference, the AI Storage Industry Development Conference, the Solid-State Transformer Industry Innovation and Development Conference... Since the start of the year, a series of high-level AI industry events have been held in Changzhou. Changzhou has clearly stated its intention to accelerate the coordinated development of 'three forces' – electric power, computing power, and storage capacity – and the 'Changzhou heat' on the AI track continues to rise.
Leading the new track, innovation wins the future. In the first half of the year, an AI entrepreneurship and innovation competition launched under the name of 'Hua Luogeng' traveled from Shanghai to Beijing, and from Guangzhou to Xi'an, attracting nearly 300 project registrations and over 150 on-site competitions, creating a powerful 'talent magnet' that injected fresh blood into the industry. By attracting talent through competitions and promoting industry through conferences, Changzhou is accelerating the construction of an AI ecosystem with a positive interaction between talent, technology, capital, and industry.
In the first half of the year, the number of newly registered AI-related business entities in the city increased by over 15% year-on-year. Cumulatively, 184 'AI+' typical application scenarios and 66 intelligent agent typical application cases have been launched. When a manufacturing hub simultaneously possesses first-mover advantages in both the new energy and AI tracks, a 'multiplication effect' quietly emerges – green electricity provides a low-carbon foundation for computing power, and AI empowerment makes manufacturing smarter and more efficient.
Focusing on future industry layout, Changzhou is actively positioning itself to seize the opportunity for deep integration of AI and the real economy, moving forward with determination.
Preparing for the Future, Building a 'New Development Matrix'
Building on the stable leadership of advantageous industries and the continuous eruption of innovation momentum, Changzhou is breaking free from traditional industrial development frameworks. It is proactively planning and systematically laying out future industries, constructing a modern industrial tier with clear levels and sustained momentum, forging long-term core competitiveness for the city's high-quality development.
Adhering to forward-looking deployment and precise cultivation, Changzhou focuses on cutting-edge future industry segments, continuously improving the industrial cultivation system, and opening up the entire chain from technology incubation and achievement transformation to scaled implementation. By targeting innovative resources, optimizing the industrial cultivation ecosystem, and strengthening efforts in frontier fields, Changzhou is persistently filling gaps in future industries, shaping distinctive industrial advantages, and driving the leap from point breakthroughs to cluster and large-scale development.
The core stamina of urban industrial development stems from continuous investment in cutting-edge tracks. Based on the trend of industrial iteration, Changzhou is nurturing future growth poles with a systematic mindset, building high-level innovation platforms, gathering high-end innovation forces, and improving industrial support. It continually activates the endogenous driving force of future industry development, reserving entirely new increments for the city's economic breakthrough and upgrading.
From the firm steps of industry 'moving towards innovation', to the accelerated layout of the AI track, and the stabilizing recovery of the consumer market, based on a new development starting point, Changzhou will continue to delve into cutting-edge tracks, cultivate fertile ground for innovation, optimize the industrial ecosystem, strive to turn the 'stability' of the first half into 'progress' for the entire year, and race towards the goal of high-quality development at full speed.
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