Liangjiang sees R&D surge

R&D expenses of industrial enterprises above the designated size in Liangjiang New Area reached 4.18 billion yuan ($581.83 million) from January to April, a year-on-year increase of 42.3 percent.

The surge has yielded significant innovative outputs.  Liangjiang set up the most tech-intensive exhibition booth at the recently concluded Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade, showcasing 163 innovative achievements. 

Changan Automobile displayed its all-solid-state battery Jinzhongzhao at the fair. The product achieves an energy density of up to 400Wh/kg, a range exceeding 1,500 kilometers, and a 70 percent improvement in safety. Changan plans to debut the functional prototype vehicles by the end of 2025 and begin mass production in 2027. 

Jinzhongzhao is expected to pave the way for Changan to explore land, sea, and air transportation models. The automaker plans to complete the test flight of its flying car by the end of this year and produce humanoid robots by 2028.

The Changan Global R&D Center in Liangjiang. [Photo by Chen Wensen]

Data shows that in 2024, Changan Automobile invested 15.1 billion yuan in R&D, accounting for 5.5 percent of its revenue. Over the past decade, the company has invested over 110 billion yuan in new energy, intelligent technology, and advanced R&D fields. 

Chongqing Aureavia Hi-Tech Glass Co (ATG) is another example of how enterprises benefit from unwavering investment in R&D. The company has created Kunlun Glass, a nanocrystalline glass that contains billions of nanocrystals and obtained the Swiss SGS five-star glass drop resistance certification. 

The glass, with its remarkable strength and durability, won the nickname "unbreakable glass". Widely applied in aviation, high-speed rail, new energy vehicles, and other fields, it is known for protecting premium Huawei smartphones and functioning as the windshield glass panels for China's home-grown C919 aircraft.

Kunlun Glass stands out for its remarkable strength and durability. [Photo/Visual Chongqing] 

ATG allocates about 7 percent of its annual revenue to R&D, has filed over 400 patent applications, and has developed multiple high-end special glass formulas. The company has mastered key manufacturing process technologies such as ultra-thin float forming. 

As a sci-tech innovation leader with national influence, Liangjiang has been integrating sci-tech, and industrial innovation, and fostering advanced productivity.

Data shows that in the first quarter of 2025, the transaction value of technology contracts in Liangjiang accounted for 4.73 percent of its GDP. It is currently home to 1,140 high-tech enterprises and over 500 innovation platforms.