30 years of the Jintan Economic Development Zone: celebrating success and innovation
Changzhou, September 26 – A milestone was celebrated as the Jintan Economic Development Zone marked its 30th founding anniversary. The anniversary event was held at the German Center (Changzhou) and attracted high-ranking personalities from the worlds of business and politics.
The high-profile guest list included Zhu Yimin, inspector of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Commerce, Hang Yong, member and secretary-general of the Standing Committee of the Changzhou Municipal Party Committee, and Zhou Chengtao, secretary-general of the municipal government. These influential figures attended the signing of key projects in various industries and the inauguration of the Synthetic Biology Industrial Park.
During the event, a photo exhibition was shown, accompanied by inspiring video presentations that illustrated the amazing development of the industrial park over the past three decades. From humble beginnings in 1993 with a gross regional product of 419 million yuan, the zone has evolved into a true engine of economic growth, with a GDP of 43.09 billion yuan in 2022.
The economic development zone focused primarily on five key industries: Sustainable Mobility, Renewable Energy, Artificial Intelligence, New Materials and New Medicine. This strategic focus has contributed significantly to the establishment of leading companies and industry clusters in the region with sales in the three-digit billion range.
Dr. Zinan Wang, CEO of RAPA Automotive China, received a special honor. As the only representative of a foreign company established in the industrial park, he was invited to attend the conference and give a speech. In his speech, Zinan Wang proudly introduced the RAPA Group’s Automotive Division, which specializes in the development and manufacture of high-tech vehicle components and has a track record of over 100 years. His speech was received with enthusiasm and great interest and he was subsequently interviewed by the local media.
In January 2022, RAPA relocated to the Jintan Economic Development Zone, marking an important step in the company’s global expansion strategy. The company invested a total of around 43 million euros and acquired around 40 hectares of land. Here, RAPA Automotive’s ambitious plans are clearly visible and manifest themselves in the construction of the production plant, which will include its own research and development department as well as production and manufacturing facilities and sales opportunities. The first construction phase is already underway and the official commissioning of the production plant is planned for mid-2024.
The 30th anniversary of the Jintan Economic Development Zone was not only a cause for celebration, but also an impressive demonstration of progress, innovation and collaboration. We look forward to the continued development of this emerging economic region and are proud to be part of this success story.
Happy 30th birthday, Jintan Economic Development Zone!
Info box
Jintan is a new industrial center located between Shanghai and Nanjing, which is being built by Jiangsu Province in the Yangtze River Delta and focuses on modern technologies and Sino-German cooperation.
Sino-German cooperation plays an important role in promoting economic development in Jiangsu Province. Jiangsu Province is one of the first Chinese provinces to initiate a close economic partnership with the federal states in Germany. Jiangsu began cooperating with North Rhine-Westphalia in 1984 and with Baden-Württemberg in 1985.
