Binhai to further strengthen industrial innovation

Tianjin's Binhai New Area, which serves as a crucial strategic pivot in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, is focusing on building complete innovation and industrial chains to transform Beijing's innovation resources into tangible productivity, according to a senior official of the area.

"Deeply integrating into the modern Beijing metropolitan area is our major mission, particularly by leveraging our industrial strengths to jointly build world-class advanced manufacturing clusters," said Shan Zefeng, head of the district's government and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress.

"This is key to consolidating Binhai's position as a strategic cooperation functional zone in the coordinated development."

This strategic shift in focus coincides with Binhai marking the 20th anniversary of its elevation to a national-level new area and entering the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

According to data released by the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Statistics, Binhai's regional GDP grew by 5 percent year-on-year in 2025, accounting for over 42 percent of Tianjin's total economic output.

Its industrial structure continues to optimize, with the tertiary sector making up more than 55 percent of the economy and contributing nearly 70 percent to growth. The number of high-tech enterprises in the district has surpassed 5,000.

Shan cited the strategic cooperation framework agreement signed between the Tianjin Binhai New Area Construction and Investment Group and the China Communications Construction Co's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional headquarters in late January as a significant move in this direction, aiming to deepen collaboration in urban development, infrastructure, and industrial operations.

Wang Yunguo, chairman of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional headquarters of CCC, said the group would leverage its full industrial chain advantages to participate in major projects, contributing to building a "beautiful Binhai" that is suitable for living, working, traveling, and leisure.

Shan noted that such collaborations have created a "strong magnetic field" for investment. By the end of last year, Binhai had attracted over 250 billion yuan ($36.2 billion) in cumulative investment from major Beijing-origin projects.

A landmark example is the Lenovo Tianjin Innovation Park, which opened in the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone in December. The park will host Lenovo's research and development functions in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge fields.

"The completion of this park is of extraordinary significance for Lenovo's development in Tianjin," said Dai Jingtong, vice-president of the Lenovo Group and general manager of its China platform.

Lenovo's Tianjin operations generated 40 billion yuan in revenue last year.

Similarly, FAW Toyota Motor Sales Co relocated its office from Beijing to Tianjin in June.

Shan added that Binhai is equally focused on creating a fertile environment for innovation synergy. Last year, the number of specialized, refined, and innovative enterprises in Binhai reached 1,200, with the value of technology contract transactions exceeding 88 billion yuan.

Tianjin's Binhai-Zhongguancun Science Park, a flagship project for collaborative innovation, has registered over 6,500 enterprises since its establishment in 2016.

Shan mentioned that Binhai New Area is focusing on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, biological manufacturing, and brain-computer interfaces to cultivate new forms of productivity.

Looking forward, Shan emphasized that Binhai will leverage its comparative advantages, actively serve the relocation of non-capital functions from Beijing, stimulate vitality through collaborative innovation, and pool strengths for shared development.

"The goal is to contribute 'Binhai strength' to building the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region into a pioneering and exemplary zone for Chinese modernization," he said.