Since its opening in March 12, 2020, the Jinqiao 5G Industrial Park in Shanghai has witnessed the arrival of functional platforms including the Huawei Shanghai 5G Innovation Center, the SAIC DIAS Intelligent Connected Innovation Center, a 5G application and innovation center of China Mobile (Shanghai) Industrial Research Institute and the CAICT 5G Innovation Lab, in addition to about 55,000 5G-related talented personnel and leading 5G enterprises.

Jinqiao’s goal is to become the origin and testing ground for domestic and global 5G technology transfer, said Yan Junjie, deputy director of Jinqiao administrative committee.

Transforming from processing to manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing

The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone was expanded on April 27, 2015 to incorporate the financial industry in the Lujiazui Financial District, the hi-tech firms in the Jinqiao Development Zone, and the high-end manufacturing industry in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park.

Jinqiao has a long history of manufacturing. To keep abreast of the latest trends, its pillar industry has been transformed over the years, from processing to manufacturing to the current intelligent manufacturing. The output and scale of the industry in Jinqiao is ranked the highest in the country.

The Huawei Shanghai Research Institute, the largest research institute of Huawei in the world, was founded in Jinqiao in 1996. The institute focuses on the research and development of HiSilicon, wireless network, high-end intelligent terminal, Internet of Vehicle, and 5G products.

SAIC General Motors was established at Jinqiao in 1997 and was the project of top priority for the Shanghai municipal government that year. Twenty years later, the company started a revolution in the industry by proposing the concept of developing electric, smart, internet-connected vehicles.

Migu Video, a new media platform integrating broadcasting and TV, and the internet and mobile networks, was set up in Jinqiao in 2006. In 2020, netizens got to watch a livestreaming video with a 360-degree view of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, via the Migu Video platform.

The arrival of these enterprises laid a solid foundation for the development of the 5G industry in Jinqiao. In 2019, the first year that 5G technology was commercialized, mobile network operators, telecom enterprises and manufacturing enterprises hastened their pace of 5G planning. Jinqiao followed the trend again by opening a 5G industrial park in March 2020 and making internet-connected vehicles, intelligent manufacturing, and ultra-high-definition video its three pillar industries for the commercialization of 5G technology.

Only four enterprises have mastered the core technology of 5G in the world - Huawei, Qualcomm, Samsung and Nokia Shanghai Bell Co. Two of them, Huawei and Nokia Shanghai Bell Co, are located in Jinqiao. Since its opening, the Jinqiao 5G Industrial Park has been actively promoting the transfer and application of 5G R&D achievements based on the research strengths of the Huawei Shanghai Research Institute, which houses about 20,000 research personnel, and Nokia Bell Labs, which hires over 2,000 research personnel, according to Yan.

Integration and empowerment are two features of the 5G industrial park. Leading 5G enterprises have tried their best to apply the cutting-edge information technology into the manufacturing industry. Some traditional manufacturing giants have also taken the lead in arming themselves with 5G technology and artificial intelligence.

The China Mobile (Shanghai) Industrial Research Institute, the Shanghai Tobacco Machinery Co and the Huawei 5G Innovation Center have joined hands to launch a “5G+smart tobacco machinery factory” project. AGV robots are used on the production lines, allowing technical personnel to give real-time orders and making precise remote control possible. When the first stage of the project is completed, work efficiency will be improved by three times.

Due to the high-speed transmission capability of 5G signals, feedback on equipment errors at this smart factory can be received in advance and error rates are reduced. In the future, the equipment utilization rate will be increased from 40 percent to 75 percent. Productivity will be improved significantly, and equipment costs will be reduced. The problem of labor shortage will also be alleviated. The park is currently planning to build 20 unmanned factories and workshops.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period, Jinqiao had auto manufacturing, electronic information, modern household appliances, food and biomedicine as its four pillar industries, which are now potential partners in 5G technology.

Targeting internet-connected vehicles, intelligent manufacturing, and ultra-high-definition video

An exhibition hall at the Jinqiao 5G Industrial Park showcases a variety of 5G-related technological innovation and application scenarios.

The core technology exhibition hall displays achievements of Jinqiao’s leading 5G enterprises and research institutes. Yan said that the construction of four centers and three bases in Jinqiao serves as a strong driving force for core 5G technological innovation and application.

Jinqiao has been home to top internet-connected vehicle-related enterprises such as automaker SAIC General Motors, auto electronics manufacturer UAES, new energy vehicle generator manufacturer Valeo, lithium battery separator producer SEMCORP, MMW imaging radar company Geometrical Perception and Learning Co, analog chip producer SAIC Infineon Automotive Power Modules (Shanghai) Co and Black Sesame Technologies, which produces the Huashan-1 and Huashan-2 chips.

It is also attracting more enterprises engaged in the internet-connected vehicle industry and helping local enterprises grow. For example, Jinqiao has attracted the Asia Pacific headquarters of Volvo and helped with the expansions of FEW Auto and Valeo.

Jinqiao is actively building a demonstrative application scenario for 5G + industrial internet with the support of integrated suppliers such as the China Telecom Shanghai Ideal Information Industry Group. The completed scenario included the first-stage 5G+smart factory for Tobacco Machinery, a 5G intelligent production line of Shanghai Yingzhenghui Green Machine Ltd, and a 5G+smart factory of Huida Machinery.

The work efficiency of related projects will be enhanced by up to 200 percent through the application of unmanned factories and remote operations. Jinqiao will continue to promote its 5G+smart factory projects such as Cmsemicon’s integrated supplier project and Tobacco Machinery’s second-stage project.

According to the plan to build two robot industrial parks, one in Jinqiao and one in Zhangjiang, the localization of technological upgrading robot for auto parts manufacturer will be promoted.

Jinqiao is focused on developing its ultra-high-definition video industry. It is taking advantage of companies such as MIGU Video, TV189 and Hualu to build ultra-high-definition livestreaming labs and digital studios and promote the application of cloud AR and VR and cloud games. It is also encouraging companies such as China Network to develop contactless consumption-featured online economy and apply 5G in retailing, supply chain and financial service sectors.

It is predicted that the revenue of the ultra-high-definition industry will reach 40 billion yuan ($6.19 billion) in the coming five years. At present, the revenue of Jinqiao’s information industry has exceeded 65 billion yuan. A new industry yielding a revenue of over 100 billion yuan is about to come into being.

A 5G technical personnel training base, the first of its kind in Shanghai, was built in Jinqiao last September with the aim of bringing together more top talents and enterprises to promote the development of the 5G industry.

The base has established a smart chain and digital skills coordinated training platform and has plans to build a research institute on intelligent technology and vocational skills to help related enterprises improve the application of 5G technology.

Jinqiao will grasp the opportunity brought by the commercialization of 5G technology and take full advantage of its 5G industrial park to push forward the development of its 5G industry, said Yan.