Discover the Elder Brother Figure Known as Nanjing

Nanjing: The City of Eldest Brothers, Connecting Jiangsu and Anhui, Pragmatic and Innovative.

Among all provincial capitals, Nanjing is often the butt of jokes. The "Huijing" (a joking nickname implying Nanjing's close ties with Anhui) gag has even gone viral across the country. Behind this "misunderstanding" lies Nanjing's unique urban character. It's like the eldest brother in a family: not seeking the limelight but silently taking on the big picture. It's the only core city of a cross - provincial metropolitan area in China, connecting multiple regions in Jiangsu and Anhui. This ancient capital of six dynasties has transformed its millennium - long history into a steady force. Unlike its "neighboring" cities that flaunt their advantages, it always uses its broad mind and strong arms to provide a shelter for their development. < h2 > Not Competing for the "Center" Position, Good at Solving the "Connection" Problem < / h2 > In the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, Nanjing has a rather unique positioning. It doesn't hold the leading position like Shanghai, doesn't have the label of disruptive innovation like Shenzhen, nor does it stand out with the aggressive approach of being the "Venture Capital City" like Hefei. However, looking at the industrial map of the Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing is an indispensable "router" for regional collaboration, acting as the "eldest brother" supporting the region. All this starts with the extending railway tracks under its feet. Nanjing understands that true regional integration is not just a few dotted lines on the map, but rather making people's footsteps, enterprise layouts, and life choices truly flow. The construction of the inter - city railways between Nanjing and Ma'anshan, Chuzhou, and Yangzhou is accelerating. In the future, the "one - hour commuting circle" will cover more than ten cities such as Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Ma'anshan, and Chuzhou. Once the transportation "capillaries" are unblocked, regional collaboration will gain a closer rhythm. "Working in Nanjing and living in the surrounding areas" is no longer a stop - gap measure but an active choice for more and more young people. This physical connection quietly dissolves the psychological boundaries, allowing the sense of "same - city living" to naturally grow in the daily commute. An even deeper connection than the railway tracks is the integration of industrial bloodlines. The cooperation between Nanjing and its surrounding cities has long gone beyond the old - fashioned division of labor of "headquarters - factory" and is moving towards a new ecosystem of joint research, construction, investment, and sharing. In the inter - provincial adjacent area between Nanjing and Chuzhou, a mechanism called "Pukou's recommendation, joint investment promotion, joint evaluation, and industrial collaboration" is reshaping the boundary logic. For example, a new energy vehicle parts project may be incubated by a Nanjing technology team and hosted by a Chuzhou industrial park. The two local governments share risks and benefits. The boundaries are blurred, but the interests are more closely linked. Similar stories are constantly playing out. The pilot test base for new materials of Nanjing University has been established in the Yangzhou Chemical Industrial Park, enabling large - scale verification of laboratory results in a different location. Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Wuhu have jointly built an aviation industry research institute, incubating nearly 60 provincial - level or above innovation platforms. The Jiangbei New Area and Ma'anshan have joined hands to create the "Nanjing - Ma'anshan Science and Innovation Corridor", promoting cross - river collaboration in cutting - edge fields such as semiconductors and biomedicine. Nanjing doesn't act as a "siphoner" but is willing to be a "connector", transforming its own innovation potential into the growth momentum of the entire metropolitan area. Nanjing's sharing, co - construction, and co - sharing make all innovations no longer obsessed with happening locally. Instead, it boldly promotes a distributed innovation model of "R & D in Nanjing, transformation in the metropolitan area; talents in Nanjing, entrepreneurship in the surrounding areas". Now, Ma'anshan, Huai'an, Chuzhou and other places have set up nearly 20 "R & D enclaves" and "talent enclaves" in Nanjing. These enclaves are not just simple offices but the "nerve endings" embedded in Nanjing's innovation ecosystem. Engineers from Chuzhou can debug algorithms in the shared laboratory in Gulou District, and entrepreneurs from Huai'an can directly connect with professor teams from Nanjing University to carry out technological research. The patents and benefits generated by the enclaves are divided between the two places according to the agreed - upon ratio. Innovation is no longer restricted by administrative divisions but flows freely according to market logic. This mechanism is essentially a form of institutional opening up. Nanjing actively breaks down barriers and turns itself into a public platform for regional innovation. In the deep - water area of the Yangtze River Delta's pursuit of higher - quality integration, Nanjing's value lies precisely in its "atypicality": not competing for the top - ranking but seeking contribution; not vying for the spotlight but holding a key position. It's not a flashy highlight but a solid foundation, the "router" that enables the whole show to run smoothly. Perhaps this is the deepest wisdom of this "eldest brother" city: bending down to pave the way, build the bridges, and connect the networks for everyone. < h2 > Not Boasting of Achievements, Only Focusing on Practical Results < / h2 > Nanjing's confidence never comes from noisy topics but is deeply rooted in its industrial strength, talent pool, and a low - key and practical "philosophy of hard work". This confidence is particularly evident in Jiangning, the top economic district in Nanjing. As the largest in area, most populous, and highest - GDP district in the city, Jiangning is not only the "ballast stone" but also the cradle of new - quality productive forces. Instead of staying in the comfort zone of traditional industries, a group of "hidden champions" challenging international giants have quietly emerged here. Walking into the dust - free workshop of Daoda Intelligent Technology, OHT overhead cranes are precisely shuttling on the roof tracks at a speed of 5.3 meters per second, transporting valuable 12 - inch wafers. A single wafer needs to go through thousands of processes before hundreds of fingernail - sized chips can be cut from it. The requirements for cleanliness, yield rate, and production efficiency are extremely strict. Any slight vibration or contamination may lead to the scrapping of an entire batch. Therefore, in high - end semiconductor factories, OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) cranes are not ordinary logistics equipment but the "aerial arteries" that maintain the efficient operation of the production line. < img data - img - size - val = "" src = "https://img.36krcdn.com/hsossms/20251114/v2_de41c15802d8471a9ac1962a586cc084@000000_oswg102840oswg1080oswg719_img_000?x - oss - process = image/format,jpg/interlace,1"> However, this key equipment has long been monopolized by Japanese companies Daifuku and Murata. The high technical complexity, difficult system integration, and long certification cycle have created extremely high market access barriers. It was not until Nanjing - based Daoda Intelligent Technology independently developed its product after ten years of hard work that the deadlock was truly broken. Its "Qilin OHT Crane" integrates three core technologies: a large - scale cluster control system, a highly reliable energy supply module, and a millisecond - level real - time response system. It is the only domestic semiconductor OHT product that can achieve stable high - speed operation at 5.3 meters per second and has been successfully delivered to customers. The value of one such crane is comparable to that of a BMW 7 Series. A 12 - inch wafer factory usually needs to deploy hundreds or even thousands of them. This means that Daoda has not only achieved a "from 0 to 1" breakthrough but also opened the door for domestic substitution in the multi - billion - level high - end equipment market. Beyond hardcore manufacturing, breakthroughs in life sciences are also quietly taking place in Jiangning. Jiangsu Aosaikang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., located in the Jiangning High - tech Zone, originated from Nanjing Haiguang Applied Chemistry Research Institute, one of the earliest private new - drug R & D institutions in Jiangsu. It has multiple "national firsts": one of the enterprises with the most comprehensive range of anti - tumor drugs in the country, the largest production base of proton - pump inhibitor injections in the country, and the enterprise with the most proton - pump inhibitor varieties. In the past three years, Aosaikang's R & D investment has had an average annual compound growth rate of over 27%. In the first half of this year, its independently developed Class 1 innovative drug, Lieertinib Tablets (trade name: Aoyixin), was approved for marketing by the National Medical Products Administration. It became the first Class 1 new drug approved in Jiangsu in 2024, specifically for the treatment of non - small - cell lung cancer with specific gene mutations, marking a key step for the enterprise in the precision medicine track. Similar stories are constantly happening in Jiangning. Estun's industrial robot shipments rank first among domestic brands. Zhongke Sili has developed the world's smallest bionic dexterous hand. Zhengda Tianqing has built the first 10,000 - liter antibody drug production line in China that achieved one - time scale - up success without engineering batches. Although they may not be well - known to the public, they firmly hold the right to speak in their respective fields, jointly building a solid foundation for Nanjing's industrial competitiveness. < img data - img - size - val = "" src = "https://img.36krcdn.com/hsossms/20251114/v2_0f20fdee61274073a4e224a1579288d3@000000_oswg347812oswg1080oswg577_img_000?x - oss - process = image/format,jpg/interlace,1"> The foundation of all this is Nanjing's irreplaceable scientific and educational resources. With 54 universities and 96 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, its scientific research strength has long ranked among the top three in the country. More importantly, Nanjing is systematically solving the problem of "strong in academia but weak in transformation" by building a full - chain transformation system from basic research, concept verification to industrialization. The National University Regional Technology Transfer and Transformation Center has chosen to be located in Nanjing precisely because of its profound scientific research foundation and strong willingness for industrial connection. Just in the Jiangning University Town, 24 universities and 300,000 teachers and students form an endless source of innovation. Data shows that Nanjing's basic research funds account for over 60% of the province, and the output value of high - tech industries above the designated size ranks first in the province. Innovation is accelerating from the laboratory to the production line. This practical attitude has also won the long - term trust of industry giants. ZTE has set up its largest global R & D center in Nanjing. Huawei, SAIC Maxus and other companies have also laid out their core bases here. What they value is not short - term policy dividends but a stable talent supply, solid industrial support, and a predictable business environment. This is the reliability of an "eldest brother", the determination to focus on practical matters rather than hype concepts. Ultimately, Nanjing's confidence is a result of time's precipitation: the ten - year perseverance in the laboratory, the late - night lights of engineers, and the persistent pursuit of core technologies. In this era where popularity fades quickly, this depth rooted in strength, talent, and innovation is Nanjing's most solid competitive barrier and the real driving force for its high - quality development. This is the industrial philosophy of the "eldest brother": not boasting of achievements but fulfilling responsibilities; not seeking fame but staying true to the essence. In a fickle era, Nanjing uses its quiet strength to write the future for doers. < h2 > With a Solid Foundation, It Can Attract Newcomers < / h2 > Nanjing is a city that always looks forward. Here, being an ancient capital is by no means a traditional shackle restricting innovation. Instead, culture is an opportunity to attract people. On one hand, Nanjing develops hard - core technologies through industrial clusters, and on the other hand, it nurtures popularity with its culture. You may think that being an ancient capital of six dynasties and ten dynasties makes it sound "old". But precisely this "old foundation" has become today's rarest attraction. History is not a burden but a magnet. The sycamores lining the streets, the banks of the Qinhuai River, and the roots of the Ming City Wall are not just backdrops for tourist photos but real reasons for young people to stay and live here. < img data - img - size - val = "" src = "https://img.36krcdn.com/hsossms/20251114/v2_1f382e16cde748ae914f1750ce1f0594@000000_oswg141296oswg1080oswg720_img_000?x - oss - process = image/format,jpg/interlace,1"> Today's industrial competition is no longer just about competing for policies and subsidies but about competing for "people". And the key to attracting people is no longer just high salaries or household registration but whether people can work with peace of mind and live a comfortable life at the same time. In the past, people were all - out in their struggles, but now people hope for a better balance and more comfort outside of work. Can a city recruit engineers and retain them? Is it convenient for children to go to school? Is there a place to relax on weekends? These seemingly trivial daily questions actually determine whether high - end talents and the industries behind them are willing to truly take root in a city. With more and more city options available, people have reasons to choose a city they can rely on rather than one that drains them. And this is where Nanjing's advantages lie: It has many universities, ensuring a stable supply of engineers. It has good medical and educational facilities, guaranteeing a good family life. The city's pace is moderate. It's neither as intense as first - tier cities nor as short on opportunities as small towns. < img data - img - size - val = "" src = "https://img.36krcdn.com/hsossms/20251114/v2_95582f5cf4d24b3d8227b6f325c40a4b@000000_oswg105094oswg1080oswg608_img_000?x - oss - process = image/format,jpg/interlace,1"> For those living in Nanjing, the city provides a sense of security like an "eldest brother". For this reason, Nanjing has ranked among the top in the country in terms of talent net inflow for many consecutive years. It doesn't rely on hot searches to gain popularity but has quietly become an "invisible high - ground" for hard - tech enterprises: the integrated circuit industrial high - ground in Jiangning, the biomedicine laboratories in the Jiangbei New Area, and the home - grown industrial robot leaders. The output value of high - tech industries above the designated size has long ranked first in the province. Nanjing may not be extremely "flashy", but it is extremely "stable". This city understands that true competitiveness doesn't lie in loud slogans but in the daily life that makes people want to stay for a long time. It may not be extremely "fast", but it can go far. This is Nanjing - A city that attracts people with its cultural heritage, retains people with its industries, and achieves success through hard work. This article is from the WeChat official account < a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5NDA0NDkzOQ==&mid=2650789327&idx=1&sn=61fdf72038f5074a4e0428a7a2355ee3&chksm=bfdfd2bb26e8b8be0b260b58855a8c7f37b87a276a20677a3c14764929

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There's an elder brother figure known as Nanjing.