Changjiang town in Rugao is home to a national category-1 port, a national-level shipping center, and a number of provincial-level industrial parks. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Construction on the Guangda Special Material (Rugao) Industrial Park is progressing smoothly in Changjiang town, Rugao, local media outlets reported.

The project was officially signed into agreement in May 2020 and is sponsored by the Zhangjiagang-based Guangda Special Material. It focuses on the manufacture of high-end equipment and aims to generate more than 10 billion yuan ($1.55 million) in revenue within three years.

Since the beginning of this year, Changjiang town has been working to realize its goal of becoming a sub-center of Rugao, with 50 billion yuan in industrial input and 100 billion yuan in taxable industrial sales, said Lu Zhimin, the local Party secretary.

The town has spared no effort to attract industrial projects, mainly involving intelligent equipment manufacturing, high-end materials, and modern logistics, and it aims to sign agreements for 25 projects receiving more than 1 billion yuan in investment each within the year.

In addition, the town has prioritized scientific and technological innovation by building a sci-tech innovation center and a maker space to attract high-tech companies and emerging industries.

It is formulating a development model integrating makers' centers, start-up incubators, business accelerators, and professional industrial parks. 

Research and development is expected to make up 2.75 percent of regional GDP this year, while the output of the high-tech industry expected to account for 40 percent.

In the logistics sector, the town has made full use of its category-1 port to bring in trade, information, and capital in an effort to build a trade and logistic center and a key hub for river-sea transition.