Shanghai will take greater efforts to make its business environment and government services better, which is conducive to building more wholesome industrial chains, said officials and company executives.

The comments came during a news conference recently by the municipal government to announce the commencement of the Shanghai Global Investment Promotion Conference 2026, with a weeklong investment activity, on March 14.

The launch of a number of new platforms to nurture emerging technologies will be one highlight of this year's event, said Tang Wenkan, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, at the news conference.

These include public service platforms focused on computing power resources, language data supply and companies' overseas expansion. Pilot testing platforms will be introduced for areas like intelligent terminal hardware-software adaptation, advanced civil aircraft manufacturing, and components for embodied artificial intelligence. Landmark application scenarios will also be released, including a training facility for humanoid robots, a high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone and a test base for new-type aircraft, Tang said.

Several new projects are expected to be signed during the conference, which include a local integrated circuit company's new base serving the integrated manufacturing of 3D chips as well as the research and production of general aviation engines. The open innovation center of French tire and mobility company Michelin will be signed during the same period.

Shanghai will release the 3.0 version of its industry map, Tang said. This initiative aims to guide districts in focusing on their leading industries and cultivating 25 niche sectors, each targeting an annual output value of 100 billion yuan ($16 billion).

Tang also said that Shanghai plans to integrate AI agents into its government services for enterprises, to match businesses with relevant policies more precisely.

Domestic bearing manufacturer C&U Group will be a first-time attendee at the conference this year, holding more than five business matchmaking activities with suppliers, clients and research institutes. This can help the company upgrade its products by better catering to market demand, said Long Shaosheng, vice-president of the company.

C&U's new global research development center started construction in southwestern Shanghai's Minhang district on Jan 7. The decision has been mainly prompted by the fact that Shanghai has nearly all the application scenarios for high-end bearings, including robots, industrial machine tools, low-altitude aircraft, energy-saving services and new energy vehicles, said Long.

Nearly 500 big-name enterprises have confirmed participation at this year's conference, such as AstraZeneca, GE and Haier. Prominent investment institutions like Brookfield Asset Management, KKR, and Qiming Venture Partners, as well as innovative startups such as AI company MiniMax and Horizon Robotics, will also be present.

For the first time, this year's investment promotion conference will be held at the Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone in Pudong New Area, a new landmark in Shanghai featuring the two-way free flow of goods as well as people.

According to Pudong's deputy government head Li Hui, the district aims to build clusters for hardcore industries during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). Specifically, IC, biomedicine, intelligent connected vehicles and software and information services should see their respective value exceed 500 billion yuan. The industrial value for AI and intelligent terminals should come in at 200 billion yuan each. Civil aviation, shipbuilding and marine engineering, embodied AI and new energy sectors should achieve breakthroughs to the 100 billion yuan level, she said.

In 2025, Shanghai introduced 4,463 key projects, attracting a total investment of 1.26 trillion yuan, said Pu Yapeng, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization.

shijing@chinadaily.com.cn