From UNESCO gardens to cutting-edge labs, Suzhou is rewriting its story! 🌿🤖
The roots: canals and gardens
Suzhou, a city in the Chinese mainland's Jiangsu Province, has been famous for its classical gardens and winding canals for over a millennium. These UNESCO-listed landscapes speak to a rich cultural past—and they still enchant millions of visitors each year.
Building the modern sci-tech ecosystem
But Suzhou isn't just about history. Today, it boasts 160,000 industrial enterprises, including more than 17,400 high-tech companies—ranking 4th in the country with an incredible industrial output of 4.7 trillion yuan in 2024. At the heart of this boom is the '1030' system: 10 key industrial clusters and 30 strategic chains, with artificial intelligence leading the charge.
Talent fuels this growth: 4.07 million professionals call Suzhou home, including 450,000 top-level experts. Through its 17-year-old Innovation and Entrepreneurship Leading Talent Program, plus national platforms like the Suzhou Laboratory and the Deep-time Digital Earth International Science Program, the city nurtures ideas from lab to market.
Clusters: from solo acts to innovation forests
Suzhou's shift from individual factories to integrated ecosystems is real. The city ranks among the Chinese mainland's top five for AI development, with its AI sector generating 236.2 billion yuan in 2024—a 20% year-on-year jump. And advanced manufacturing shines through seven 'Lighthouse Factories' recognized by the World Economic Forum, including Hengtong Group, which began its digital journey back in 1998.
AISPEECH: a homegrown success story
Cambridge-born AISPEECH set up shop in Suzhou Industrial Park in 2008, drawn by the city's supportive vibe. In July 2023, it rolled out DFM-2, the first AI model in Jiangsu to clear the dual filing under the Chinese mainland's generative AI regulations. In a chat with Long Mengzhu, AISPEECH's CMO, we saw how cluster dynamics—especially in high-end equipment and automotive electronics—supercharge growth. 🚀
Suzhou's journey shows tradition and tech can vibe together in perfect harmony. From canal town to AI powerhouse, this city is setting the pace for the future—one smart innovation at a time. ✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
