Recently, the Jiaxing Municipal People's Government issued the Jiaxing "15th Five-Year" Science and Technology Innovation Development Plan (JZF [2026] No. 19), making systematic arrangements for the city's science and technology innovation development during the "15th Five-Year" period. The plan explicitly includes the hydrogen energy industry in the key research directions of the new energy sector, proposing to focus on areas such as energy storage equipment, the hydrogen energy industry, and lightweight high-efficiency PV modules, with key research on core technologies including solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cell systems and key parts, and hydrogen energy storage and transportation equipment.
Development foundation: Hydrogen energy industry selected for provincial future industry pilot zone
Since the "14th Five-Year" period, Jiaxing's urban innovation capacity has improved significantly. In 2023, it was listed as a national innovation-driven demonstration city pilot, and in 2024, it successfully became one of the first batch of national pilot cities for new-type technological transformation of the manufacturing industry. It ranked 11th among national innovative cities at the prefecture level, with its innovation index firmly in 2nd place in the province. Total social R&D expenditure as a share of GDP reached 3.57%, up 0.26 percentage points from the end of the "13th Five-Year" period, ranking 2nd in the province.
The level of innovation platforms continued to rise, with 4 national key laboratories (including branches), 20 provincial key laboratories, and 13 provincial-level new-type R&D institutions established. The rate of R&D institution establishment among industrial enterprises above designated size has ranked 1st in the province for five consecutive years, and the city has 4,553 valid high-tech enterprises. The semiconductor, hydrogen energy, and nuclear technology application industries were successfully selected for the provincial future industry pilot zone, with industrial innovation competitiveness continuing to improve.
Development goals: R&D investment to reach 3.85% of GDP by 2030
The plan covers the period 2026–2030, with an outlook to 2035. By 2030, the city's innovation development index will rank among the top in the Yangtze River Delta, total social R&D expenditure as a share of GDP will reach 3.85%, basic research expenditure as a share of total social R&D expenditure will reach 6%, and the city's total science and technology innovation investment will reach 70 billion yuan. The number of high-tech enterprises per 10,000 enterprise legal persons above designated size will reach 2,650, and the rate of R&D institution establishment among industrial enterprises above designated size will reach 80%. The city's total talent pool will reach 1.52 million people, and the number of R&D personnel per 10,000 employed persons will reach 280 person-years. By 2035, total social R&D expenditure as a share of GDP is expected to reach 4.0%.
Hydrogen energy technology research: Dual-driven by fuel cell systems and storage and transportation equipment
In strengthening core industrial technology research, the plan proposes supporting the development of Jiaxing's distinctive and advantageous industries, promoting the transformation and development of fine chemicals and new materials, intelligent IoT, new energy, and other advantageous industries toward high-end, intelligent, and green development. Among these, in the new energy sector, focusing on energy storage equipment, the hydrogen energy industry, lightweight high-efficiency PV modules, and other areas, key research will be conducted on solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cell systems and key parts, hydrogen energy storage and transportation equipment, perovskite-organic tandem PV modules, organic PV modules, and other directions, advancing breakthroughs in key core technologies and empowering the innovative development of the new energy industry.
In promoting green and environmental protection technology innovation, the plan proposes focusing on key areas such as PV new energy, hydrogen energy and energy storage, energy-saving and environmental protection equipment, low-carbon industrial park renovation, energy conservation and carbon reduction in industrial processes, water environment treatment and ecological restoration, carbon sequestration and sink enhancement, and soil pollution prevention and control, accelerating the R&D and demonstration application of green and low-carbon frontier technologies, empowering industrial transformation and upgrading and ecological civilization construction through green technology innovation, and helping achieve the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.
Frontier technologies and future industry layout
The plan also proposes strengthening breakthroughs in frontier technologies, organizing leading, forward-looking, and disruptive technology research in key areas such as biomedical analysis, electromagnetic space security, frontier intelligent functional ceramic materials, flexible electronics, advanced model animal research, and quantum spin sensing. In terms of emerging future industry layout, it will precisely cultivate high-growth industries such as embodied AI, biomanufacturing, low-altitude economy and aerospace, and quantum technology, seizing the commanding heights of future competition.
The issuance of this plan has charted the direction for Jiaxing's science and technology innovation development during the "15th Five-Year" period. As a key research area, the hydrogen energy industry will receive sustained policy and resource support, helping drive technological innovation and high-quality development of Jiaxing's hydrogen energy industry.
