A bird's-eye view of Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The Key Materials Innovation and Development Forum, organized by the Industry Development and Promotion Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was held in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on May 29.

The event brought together academicians, experts, and representatives from research institutes, industry associations, financial institutions, and leading enterprises in the field of new materials.

Zhang Tong, mayor of Nantong, emphasized in her speech that new materials are a crucial foundation for advanced manufacturing and a core industry that the city is committed to strengthening. Nantong has been focusing on enhancing the competitiveness of specialized products, driving industrial innovation, and expanding the capacity of its platforms. This effort has resulted in a robust industry chain led by key enterprises.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Zhang outlined Nantong's ambition to focus on intelligent, green, and integrated development, aiming to become a leading hub for the new materials industry in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Chang Guowu, former director of the Raw Materials Industry Department of MIIT, highlighted Nantong as an important advanced manufacturing base in the region and a fertile ground for innovation in new materials.

He expressed hope that the forum would serve as a bridge to accelerate the industrialization and large-scale application of research results and support the autonomous and secure development of key areas such as high-end equipment, electronic information, and new energy at both provincial and national levels.

During the event, industry experts provided in-depth analyses of opportunities and challenges in the field, emphasizing the core value of artificial intelligence in new materials research, intelligent manufacturing, and practical applications, and clarifying the pathways for industrial transformation and development.

Participants also engaged in specialized exchanges on subfields such as advanced materials, high-performance fibers and membranes, and chemical materials. The forum further exemplified Nantong's advantages in terms of location, industry, and available platforms through thematic lectures, presentations of research results, and corporate roadshows, deepening precise connections between industry, academia, research, application, and finance, while promoting resource sharing and collaborative innovation.