After Shenzhen became a national pilot innovative city in 2008, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) recently listed an additional 16 cities – Dalian, Qingdao, Xiamen, Shenyang, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Jinan, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Suzhou, Wuxi and Yantai, as national pilot innovative cities.

Innovative cities refer to cities in which an innovative system is sound and has concentrated innovative components, good fundamental conditions, high innovative efficiency and economic benefits, strong ability to support and drive development, and a wide demonstrative and influential range.

Developing national innovative cities is aimed at making independent innovation become a key strategy for urban development, the main driving force behind economic and social development, play a central role in upgrading industry structures so as to significantly enhance the quality and economic benefits of the development and fundamentally change the development mode.
                                                                                  Source: People's Daily Online