"Advanced manufacturing stands as a cornerstone for the high-quality advancement of regional economies," said Xu Zhangyan, mayor of Quzhou and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress.

In recent years, Quzhou has prioritized the cultivation of six major flagship industry chains, including new materials, new energy, integrated circuits, high-end equipment, life and health, and special paper.

The strategic focus has driven comprehensive advancements in industrial restructuring and chain enhancement, fostering vibrant clusters of advanced manufacturing industries.

Xu underscored the key role of large-scale projects and enterprises in facilitating the high-quality development of advanced manufacturing.

In 2023, Quzhou made significant strides in attracting substantial investments, with 215 manufacturing projects exceeding 100 million yuan ($18.89 million). Notably, seven projects with investments exceeding 10 billion yuan were secured, reflecting robust growth in manufacturing and high-tech industry investments by 30.4 percent and 28.2 percent, respectively.

Xu emphasized that innovation remains the primary driver of advanced manufacturing development.

Quzhou has actively bolstered its regional innovation ecosystem, attracting three esteemed academician teams and achieving comprehensive coverage of the six major flagship industry chains and six county-level industrial research institutes.

Additionally, the region has focused on nurturing technology-based enterprises, resulting in the establishment of 187 new national high-tech enterprises and 898 provincial technology-based small- and medium-sized enterprises.