The fifth "Experts in Hai'an" event was held in Hai'an, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on Dec 8.

A group of academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) attended the event to discuss local issues related to innovation, technology and high quality development.

Yu Lizhong, mayor of Hai'an, introduced the city's industrial innovation situation and policy environment in his speech. He said that innovation is the primary driving force for development. Yu also outlined how Hai'an is implementing the innovation strategy to drive growth in the city.

As the highest academic institution in the field of science and technology in China, CAS has successfully organized the "Experts in Hai'an" event 5 times since 2014. Nearly 400 enterprises, 45 institutes and 150 experts on average participate in the event every year.

The fifth "Experts in Hai'an" event is held in Hai'an, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on Dec 8, 2018. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Provincial and municipal leaders visit the exhibition of Hai'an's achievements before the event on Dec 8, 2018. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Hai'an has established 55 projects with CAS in fields ranging from materials and energy to chemicals within five years. The projects not only help local enterprises deal with technological difficulties, but also teach them how to make the most of the cutting-edge equipment and innovative products at their disposal.

The industrial taxable sales of the city exceeded 100 billion yuan ($14.56 billion) in 2015, taking the lead in Nantong. With the annual growth rate of more than 20 percent, it is expected to reach 165 billion yuan in 2018, according to official data.