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R&D cluster zone

The Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District Management Committee and Minhang government launched the Yangtze River Delta Manufacturing R&D Cluster Zone action plan in June.

This cluster zone is a novel strategy to combine scientific and industrial innovation in the Yangtze Delta.

Research and development and commercialization will be linked, high-end resources will be allocated, a world-class business environment will be created, and Yangtze River Delta manufacturers will be encouraged to establish research and development centers.

It will also help R&D centers create high-level science and technology innovation service platforms, attract national and provincial organizations, and create innovation centers that integrate technology transfer, business incubation, technology finance, and international cooperation.

They will also encourage large firms to form innovation consortiums and open innovation centers and expand public service activities like proof-of-concept, small-scale, and pilot-scale trials, and technology transfer.

Additionally, R&D centers in the cluster will receive one-stop services for policy advice, HR services, business registration, and tax compliance throughout the startup innovation and growth cycle, streamlining administrative procedures for enterprises.

LVMH logistics hub

LVMH Beauty launched a smart, automated logistics hub in Shanghai's Xinzhuang Industrial Park in June to improve logistics and supply chain management for many high-end beauty and cosmetics companies in China.

Once operational, the facility will process six million e-commerce orders annually.

The 140 million yuan (US$20.5 million) project includes digital technology and automated equipment for warehousing and order fulfillment, including multi-level shuttles and automated packaging, labeling, and package sorting. LVMH China President Wu Yue said that the Chinese market is active and growing.

LVMH Beauty has strengthened its footprint in China in recent years, according to Thibaut TEISSEIRE, chief operating officer for LVMH Group's Perfume and Cosmetics division in China. Its omni-channel sales network includes directly-operated stores, counters, and major e-commerce platforms for 10 luxury beauty brands in China.

New venture

Bosch Rexroth and Xi'an IF Intelligent Equipment Co launched Le-Axis Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd in the Xinzhuang Industrial Park on June 26.

The companies will develop and sell electromechanical actuators (EMA) for off-highway vehicles worldwide.

Bosch Rexroth is a leading automation and drive technology supplier, while Xi'an IF Intelligent Equipment, created in 2001 as a subsidiary of Xi'an Huaou Transmission, makes ball screws and electromechanical axes.

The new joint venture will use Bosch Rexroth's global sales network to build its overseas operations while maintaining its domestic emphasis, offering high-quality products and services to clients worldwide. The establishment will strengthen Minhang's new energy equipment industrial chain, boosting the region's high-end equipment manufacturing sector.

General Manager Zhu Tao said the company will use the synergies between the two owners to innovate and use electric cylinder goods, contributing to the industry's green and low-carbon development.

Neuro Space anniversary

Shanghai's Neuro Space, a brain-computer interface (BCI) industrial cluster, has attracted dozens of creative enterprises in its first year, demonstrating the city's expanding strength in this burgeoning industry.

At a June 27 seminar at Hongqiao International Medical Center, officials evaluated Shanghai's future BCI industrial cluster and launched many new platforms and partnerships.

Neuro Space's innovation ecosystem includes research, clinical validation, and commercialization since its opening a year ago. The park presently houses invasive and non-invasive BCI technology developers, clinical service providers, and testing labs.

Over 11 national research initiatives and 119 high-level professionals have joined the cluster. Several core products are in clinical trials or nearing approval as Class III medical devices.

Huashan Hospital and Landseed Rehabilitation Hospital have developed a BCI clinical ward during the conference for clinical applications and rehabilitation.

The brainwave data platform began offering researchers over 100,000 electroencephalogram cases and 2 petabytes of data for research and AI model training.

Other initiatives included the establishment of a graduate training center, an industry association, and new application projects in sleep intervention, mental rehabilitation, and adolescent mental health.

Local officials have stated that Shanghai will continue to develop public service platforms, increase clinical research facilities, and promote real-world applications in order to create a world-class BCI innovation ecosystem.