As part of its effort to accelerate the strategic deployment of future industries, the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology (also known as the Municipal Digital Economy Bureau) has announced the first batch of 16 pilot areas for future industries.

Future industries refer to strategic, emerging, and high-growth industries that are still in the early stages of development. Hangzhou is proactively deploying resources to support the development of five key high-potential industries (“5”): general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI), the low-altitude economy, humanoid robots, neuromorphic intelligence, and synthetic biology. At the same time, the city is exploring several emerging frontier fields (“X”), including the metaverse, future networks, and quantum technology, with the ambition of becoming a leader in these nascent areas. The establishment of national, provincial, and municipal pilot areas for future industries is a critical step in Hangzhou’s plan to establish its “5+X” future economic framework.

The 16 designated pilot areas are designed to drive breakthroughs and accelerate the industrialization of key future technologies. For example, the Shangcheng District Metaverse Pilot Area will focus on advancing Web3, digital products, digital avatars, metaverse manufacturing, and related fields. Meanwhile, the Yuhang District Low-Altitude Economy Pilot Area has already attracted numerous enterprises in the sector and is leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, 5G, and future networks to continuously develop new application scenarios.

According to The Future Industry Development Plan of Hangzhou (2025-2026), Hangzhou is systematically promoting the development of municipal future industry pilot areas. The plan envisions the establishment of these innovation platforms in all 10 of its districts, counties, and county-level cities, unlocking the significant potential of future technologies. These pilot areas are projected to cultivate industrial clusters worth hundreds of billions, potentially even trillions, of yuan. They are poised to become a vital driver for Hangzhou’s high-quality economic growth.