Cultural and tech innovation drives Daning

Editor's note:

Jing'an's four key functional zones – Shibei, Daning, Suhewan and Nanjing Road W. – serve as the main engines driving investment and high-quality development in the district. This "Invest Jing'an" series will highlight the distinctive strengths of each area.

The Daning Functional Area, one of Jing'an's four core zones, is strategically located in northern Shanghai.

It spans 10.92 square kilometers from the Yujingpu River in the east to the Pengyuepu River in the west, with the Inner Ring Road (Zhongshan Road N. part) to the south and the Middle Ring Road (Wenshui Road portion) to the north.

A prime example of urban living and industrial integration, Daning features 28 major office buildings and 39 industry parks, offering 1.9 million square meters of office space and over 610,000 square meters of commercial space.

The area houses 15 multinational firms and six global service providers' regional offices with 15 landmark buildings generating over 100 million yuan (US$13.83 million) in annual tax income. As an innovation and business hub, it has top high-tech parks and incubators.

Key strengths

Daning's success is due to its pleasant environment, efficient transportation, extensive amenities and top-notch services.

At the heart of Daning sits Daning Park, the largest ecological park in central Puxi. The 680,000-square-meter urban getaway has lush vegetation, tranquil lakes and well-designed landscapes. The park's artistic rockery adds to its charm, but its true standout is a stunning beach – made from thousands of tons of imported white sand – bringing a touch of the seaside to the city.

Since 2015, the park has hosted tulip, lotus and plum blossom festivals in its lush green spaces. This year, the area hosts the first Jing'an Huazhao Festival, a more elaborate cultural experience featuring floral displays, traditional practices and lifestyle events.

The park also features a 5km smart track, where runners can track health metrics through IoT-enabled devices.

A twin "cross" network connects Daning to Pudong and the Yangtze River Delta via the Inner Ring Road and North-South Elevated Road, and Metro Line 1 and the under-construction Metro Line 20 provide rail service.

Daning Music Plaza, Jiuguang Center, and Life Hub @ Daning are among the many commercial amenities in the zone. Shanghai's 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai University, Jing'an Sports Center and Shanghai Circus World form a "15-minute social life circle" for locals.

Daning is integrating ecological, cultural and sports resources to become a new cultural and tourism landmark and help Shanghai become a global consumer hub.

The zone provides customized, full-lifecycle services to enterprises. Daning exceeded its investment goals last year with 2,265 industry-trend-aligned initiatives.

Cultural and technological innovation

Daning's development is propelled by the convergence of cultural and technological innovation.

In cultural sectors like film and eSports, Daning has attracted 384 companies, including industry leaders such as Bona, iQiyi, Riot Games and Hero Esports. Local businesses created blockbuster films like "Dying to Survive" and the TV series "Blossoms Shanghai."

Since prioritizing technological innovation in 2021, Daning has focused on integrated circuits, chip design, digital security and smart healthcare, hosting 502 technology companies.

Daning is building an ultra-high-definition (UHD) audio-visual industry cluster to create a worldwide UHD ecosystem. This will assist Daning in becoming a UHD innovation hub and support Jing'an's global UHD industry hub goals.

Daning also plans to build a regional TTO (Technology Transfer Office) platform to commercialize medical and health technologies. The first "Life and Health Fusion Innovation and Transformation Center" in the zone will expedite life and health research and development, encouraging patent conversion and high-quality industry growth in Jing'an.