Seventeenth International Automotive Powertrain Technology Congress takes place in Nantong on June 12. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The 17th International Automotive Powertrain Technology Congress was held in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on June 12, providing guidance for promoting the rapid development of the city's auto industry.

Nantong is located in the central region of the Yangtze River Delta's automotive industry cluster, with nearly 20 whole vehicle companies in the vicinity and over 70 percent of powertrain and auto parts companies in the YRD.

"As a shining pearl in YRD's automotive industry cluster, Nantong is upgrading from a supporting base for the automotive industry chain to an innovation center for new energy vehicles, which deserves the focused attention of investors and industry chain enterprises," said Lu Lili, deputy secretary-general of the China Society of Automotive Engineers.

She noted that, centering around industrial decarbonization, relevant industrial parks in Nantong have attracted companies involved in new materials, power semiconductors, and power devices. In the field of new energy vehicle powertrain, companies related to solid-state batteries have also been established in the city.

Lu suggested that Nantong should further leverage its existing industrial foundation to seize the opportunities in the new energy vehicle industry.

During the event, Nantong municipal association for science and technology also invited representatives of auto industry parks and participating experts to visit local industrial parks and companies to get a better understanding of the development of the city's auto industry.