The county-level city of Taixing in Jiangsu province has laid out an industrial plan for the next five years, targeting three clusters, each valued at over 100 billion yuan ($14.74 billion) by 2030.
The clusters — chemical new materials, modern equipment manufacturing, and health manufacturing — form the backbone of the city's "333" modern industrial system — enhancing three clusters of distinctive, advantageous industries, tackling three strategic emerging sub-sectors, and positioning for three future industries — as outlined in its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).
Chemical new materials will be the largest, aiming to exceed 120 billion yuan. The sector is poised to push upstream from basic chlor-alkali and olefin chains into electronic chemicals like photoresists and wet chemicals, as well as new energy materials for lithium batteries, solar panels, hydrogen, and wind power.
Modern equipment manufacturing, targeting 100 billion yuan, is set to focus on smart and green upgrades — including ultra-large container ships, industrial robots, CNC machine tools, and clean energy equipment.
The health manufacturing cluster, also targeting 100 billion yuan, will leverage the city's chemical-pharmaceutical synergies to grow biomedicine, medical devices, health foods, and specialty pet food.
Six industrial parks will each play a distinct role. The Taixing Economic Development Zone aims for national-level status. The Huangqiao Economic Development Zone will build China's only bio-fermentation and future food city. The Taixing High-tech Zone will focus on innovation, while Hongqiao Industrial Park will serve as a cross-river integration hub.
A view of Huangqiao's bio-fermentation and future food city. [Photo/WeChat account: txfabu]
The plan also calls for deeper integration of manufacturing and services, adding 50 smart factories and five 5G-enabled factories during the period.