Final inspections are conducted on the latest batch of Shineray motorcycles manufactured in Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
Chongqing - Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in the government work report on March 5 that China will accelerate efforts to achieve high-level technological self-reliance, seize opportunities from a new wave of technological and industrial transformation, and strengthen independent innovation to support high-quality development.
Chongqing has already been strengthening its innovation capacity. The city entered the Top 100 Global STI Centers for the first time in 2025, according to a science and technology innovation ranking compiled by East China Normal University, and has set new targets for 2026.
Chongqing also ranked 35th in the Nature Index Science Cities 2025 ranking, up five places from the previous year. Its overall science and technology innovation index has remained the highest in western China for seven consecutive years.
Several major breakthroughs were achieved in Chongqing last year. China’s first batch of Level-3 autonomous driving vehicles was tested in the city, and the world’s first big-data and intelligent design platform for magnesium alloys was established there. Chongqing also developed China’s first CAR-T therapy product for childhood leukemia.
Institutional reforms have progressed alongside technological advances. The city has piloted market-based allocation of technologies and introduced streamlined services to support intellectual property financing.
Chongqing’s research infrastructure continues to expand. Three major laboratories—Jinfeng Laboratory, Jialing River Laboratory, and Mingyue Lake Laboratory—are now in operation. The city is also home to 228 national- and ministerial-level science and technology innovation platforms and 39 high-level new research institutes.
Investment in scientific infrastructure has accelerated. In 2025, Chongqing implemented 315 fixed-asset investment projects in the science and technology sector, with total investment reaching 17.399 billion yuan (about 2.4 billion U.S. dollars), up 51.7 percent year on year.
Chongqing’s innovation network is also becoming more international. Through partnerships with 10 countries, including Saudi Arabia, its cooperation network now spans 71 countries and regions. Chongqing and neighboring Sichuan Province jointly launched 75 research projects in key fields and opened shared access to 14,000 large scientific instruments and equipment units.
The city has also seen rapid growth in technology enterprises. High-tech enterprises accounted for 48 percent of large industrial firms in Chongqing. The number of technology firms and high-tech enterprises in the city rose by 10.1 percent and 14.11 percent, respectively, in 2025. Chongqing aims to increase the totals to 86,000 technology firms and 11,500 high-tech enterprises in 2026.
This year, the city plans to accelerate the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. Chongqing will build 10 new incubators for technology startups, and the value of technology contract transactions is expected to exceed 120 billion yuan.
Looking ahead, Chongqing aims to further strengthen its innovation capacity. Research and development spending is expected to reach 2.82 percent of municipal GDP, with basic research accounting for 6.8 percent of total R&D investment. The number of researchers is projected to exceed 280,000, while the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people is expected to reach 12.