By Xiao Tong, Mao Xinhui, and Cheng Jiajia
In Shanghai's northeast, the Huangpu River curves into a broad arc, tracing the shape of Yangpu's riverside. At the center of that arc sits Fuxing Island—the only inland island in Shanghai's urban core. This stretch of riverfront is now taking shape as "one island, two wings," a new vision for innovation and growth.
Recently, the 2025 Yangpu Global Promotion Conference was held at Shipyard Park on Fuxing Island. With the theme "Create the Future in Yangpu," the event invited global investors to explore new opportunities. Sixteen key development sites were introduced, including 14 in the southern section of the waterfront, covering about 34 hectares.
Yangpu's waterfront is becoming a key platform to support Shanghai's long-term development. The "one island, two wings" layout outlines a bold new direction.
The "One Island" refers to Fuxing Island, which spans 1.3 square kilometers. In December 2024, it will welcome the launch of Shanghai's Quantum City Spacetime Innovation Base. The goal is to transform the island into a young, smart, and sustainable innovation hub.
The north wing, covering the central and northern sections of the Yangpu waterfront, is set to become an "innovation ecosystem testbed," a "launchpad for future industries," and a "pioneer zone for mixed-use development." Building on Yangpu's strong industrial heritage, the area will focus on creating a new model for high-quality development by promoting synergy between the waterfront and the city, and between industry and urban life.
The south wing, as outlined in the Special Plan for Functional Integration and Spatial Quality Enhancement along the Huangpu River, has been given a clear positioning as a "Global Living Room" and a showcase for new-quality urban waterfront development.
The "Global Living Room" will be shaped as a gateway district, carrying key functions of the city's central activity zone. The "Dynamic Bridge Core" area is already home to digital economy headquarters such as Meituan, Bilibili, and the Riverside Innovation Center, and will continue to grow as a vibrant cluster of "digital economy + creative design + quality living." In the nearby "New-Quality Waterfront" area, two premium residential plots have been introduced to support integrated growth of industry and community. In addition, two high-potential sites—covering about 9 hectares—have been launched near the Wujiaochang municipal sub-center and the Greater Knowledge and Innovation Zone, further strengthening Yangpu's innovation ecosystem.
Yangpu is pressing ahead at full speed with its urban transformation. Along the southern stretch of the waterfront, major digital economy headquarters—such as Douyin, Meituan, and Bilibili—are rapidly taking shape. Landmark projects including CCCC Riverside Plaza, Douyin's Shanghai Riverside Center, China Energy Conservation's first flagship tower in Shanghai, the Yangpu Riverside Innovation Center, Meituan's Shanghai Technology Hub, and Bilibili's New Generation Industrial Park are all under construction. Many are expected to be completed and put into use by 2026, helping turn the southern waterfront into a major hub for the digital economy.
"Yangpu is facing a rare opportunity in its transformation. Waterfront areas have always been the most valuable parts of a city," said Wu Jiang, professor at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, and director of the Institute for Mega-City Refined Governance, during the 2025 Yangpu Global Promotion Conference.
Wu explained that Yangpu's strong industrial heritage is not a limitation, but a cultural asset that supports innovation. He also highlighted the district's unique advantage in being home to several leading universities. "All economic growth, at its core, reflects the progress of human civilization. Behind every product lies culture. Among all cultural expressions, cities are where human effort is most deeply invested. This cultural foundation provides powerful support for future economic development and social advancement," he said. He added that Yangpu's industrial spaces have already shown their ability to adapt and serve today's needs, and they will continue to evolve as dynamic spaces for work and life in the future.
In the last century, Yangpu was known as one of Shanghai's major industrial districts, contributing one-fifth of the city's total industrial output. By 2024, revenue from Yangpu's software and information services industry exceeded 320 billion yuan, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the citywide total. This shift from one "one-fifth" to another reflects Yangpu's steady focus on innovation as the foundation of its development. The district has built a strong innovation ecosystem, marking its transformation from an industrial powerhouse to a center of innovation—and it continues to move forward with confidence.
For Sun Yuqi, general manager of Fulai Intelligent Technology, Yangpu's innovation-friendly environment is deeply personal. "Last April, after I published a paper in an international journal, district officials came to my lab and asked what support I needed to turn my research into real-world applications," he said. His company is located in Bay Valley Science Park, just across the street from Fudan University's Jiangwan campus. This close connection allows innovation to flow freely between the university and the city, giving researchers the space and focus they need to pursue their work.
On Fuxing Island, Shipyard Park is now home to the first waterfront public space in the Yangpu section that is about to open. Rusted cranes stand tall as reminders of the area's industrial past, while clean walkways wind through shaded trees and new greenery.
"If I had to give Fuxing Island a theme, it would be 'sci-fi'," said Chen Yixing, product lead for spacetime AI models at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence and chief planner of the Fuxing Island Global Design Competition. She believes the island should be developed as a global landmark for innovation. "It deserves to become a world-class IP that brings people together with a shared vision."
Turning cutting-edge technologies into real-world applications is never easy. It takes time, trial, and a space where experimentation is possible. Chen sees Fuxing Island as just that kind of platform—a place where cross-disciplinary collaboration and digital empowerment can drive new possibilities. "Here, we have the conditions to build a 'prototype of the city of the future.' It can stand for the most advanced technological experiments, the boldest policy innovation, and the most imaginative cultural creation."
