Recently, the “Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Construction of the Changning Linkage Innovation Zone of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone” (hereinafter referred to as the Implementation Plan) was officially issued and put into effect. As an important component of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone Linkage Innovation Zones, the Changning Linkage Innovation Zone is based on its regional characteristics, with institutional innovation at its core, driven by the needs of business entities, and aimed at promoting high-quality development. It focuses on deepening reform, innovation, and exploratory practices in five key areas: new business operation scenarios, new licensing procedures, new talent service experiences, a new sci-tech innovation ecosystem, and new explorations in regulatory models.

Planning "three major functional zones" to build a distinctive innovation ecosystem

The Implementation Plan, aligned with Changning's industrial foundation and spatial layout, defines three functional zones. Building on innovation-driven momentum and strengthening the agglomeration of core functions, these include the Shanghai Silicon Lane Science and Technology Innovation Block, the Hongqiao International Trade Center area, and the Changning section of the Hongqiao International Central Business District, with a total area of approximately 24.6 square kilometers.

Shanghai Silicon Lane Science and Technology Innovation Block: Seizing the opportunity of innovation returning to urban areas and making full use of its strengths such as a solid innovation foundation and a strong fashion atmosphere, this zone will leverage policy empowerment and linkage innovation to achieve breakthrough innovations in science and technology innovation and financial services. This includes focusing on building high-quality incubators, deploying state-owned capital in science and technology, financing sci-tech enterprises, and optimizing the innovation ecosystem. The goal is to create an attractive district with high technological content, vibrant foot traffic, and robust economic output, turning the vision of "coding under plane trees, conducting research in historic districts, holding morning meetings in cafes, and discussing innovation amidst urban vitality" into a beautiful reality and a driving force for innovation.

Hongqiao International Trade Center area: Benchmarking against the high-quality development standards and requirements of national-level economic development zones, this area will focus on promoting urban renewal and redevelopment. It will fully leverage regional advantages in international commerce and fashion consumption, emphasizing support for trade and investment facilitation, regulatory innovation, and intellectual property protection. Efforts will be intensified to cultivate new forms and models of trade, support the enhancement of cross-border e-commerce capabilities, and strive to build the area into a new benchmark for international engagement connecting the world and a new window for dual circulation in domestic and foreign trade radiating across the Yangtze River Delta.

Changning section of the Hongqiao International Central Business District: Actively relying on its crucial role as a core carrier of the Hongqiao International Open Hub, this section will accelerate the construction of national and municipal-level industrial parks and other platforms. It will focus on aviation, digital, headquarters, and eco-friendly industries to stimulate vitality, striving to become a powerful functional core and a strong engine for high-quality development. It will actively explore cross-border data flow, facilitate cross-border capital movement, enhance talent service capabilities, and strengthen professional services for global expansion. Efforts will be fully devoted to advancing the construction of the Hongqiao International Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Park (Changning Park) and the Hongqiao Corporate Global Headquarters Cluster Zone.

Focusing on the "five key areas" to fully stimulate regional vitality

Guided by the principle of "making enterprises, talent, and the market feel the changes," Changning District will introduce a series of innovative, breakthrough, and outcome-oriented reform measures in the "five key areas":

New business operation scenarios: "Expanding channels" for enterprise development by introducing measures including orderly promoting cross-border data flow and the application of data factors, enhancing the level of trade clearance facilitation, advancing trade settlement facilitation, promoting the free flow of cross-border funds, strengthening professional services for global expansion, and promoting the agglomeration of low-altitude economy headquarters.

New licensing procedures: Making business procedures "more worry-free" for enterprises by introducing measures including improving the efficiency of licensing services, relaxing foreign investment access in professional services, promoting the "one-thing" integrated service reform, and strengthening collaboration with the Yangtze River Delta region.

New talent service experiences: "Adding warmth" to talent settlement by introducing measures including strengthening talent attraction efforts, improving immigration services for foreign talent, and continuously enhancing talent service capabilities.

New sci-tech innovation ecosystem: Helping sci-tech enterprises "accelerate" by introducing measures including promoting the construction of high-quality incubators, accelerating the deployment of state-owned capital in science and technology, expanding diversified financing channels for sci-tech enterprises, optimizing the innovation ecosystem and intellectual property protection, and exploring optimized talent cultivation models.

New explorations in regulatory models: "Enhancing efficiency" in smart regulation by introducing measures including promoting innovation in smart regulatory models, optimizing construction approval management processes, and deeply building a "digital court."

Anchored on "Two Lists" to deepen institutional innovation practices

Adhering to the principle of aligning with municipal requirements while highlighting regional characteristics, efforts will be made on one hand to ensure the implementation of municipal-level policies for replication and promotion, and on the other hand to focus on exploring independent innovation for distinctive reform tasks, allowing policy dividends to benefit business entities more quickly.

Focusing on the 25-item "Replication and Promotion List": On the supply side, refine the implementation paths; on the demand side, deepen the investigation to learn about enterprises’ demands. Efforts will be made to vigorously promote precise supply-demand match and the continuous emergence of scenarios. For example, deepening the pilot for multinational companies' integrated domestic and foreign currency capital pools; further relaxing the ratio of investments restrictions on partnership joint operation between Hong Kong and Macao law firms and mainland law firms; encouraging innovation in intellectual property pledge financing models, and expanding the product types and coverage of intellectual property pledge financing.

Focusing on the 33-item "Independent Reform List": Refine tasks and actively explore. For example, promoting the facilitation of cross-border data flow services; expanding the scope of freight forwarding business at Pudong and Hongqiao airports to facilitate international air logistics transit; and promoting the construction of a technical capability system and service center for the airworthiness certification of new low-altitude aircraft.

Promoting the construction of the Pilot Free Trade Zone Linkage Innovation Zone is an important opportunity for Changning to integrate into the national opening-up strategy, activate economic momentum, and enhance its core competitiveness. Changning will seize the opportunity of implementing new policies and measures to focus on trade and investment facilitation, streamlined market access and operations, and other areas, continuously expanding the breadth and depth of pioneering institutional innovation. It will further amplify the radiating and driving effects, building new advantages for Changning and unleashing new vitality for Changning in Shanghai's comprehensive deepening of high-level reform and opening-up.