On February 21, the "China · Nickel Capital (Jinchang) Industrial Chain Innovation Development Index Report (2024)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"), jointly compiled by the Development and Reform Commission of Jinchang City, Gansu Province, and the China Economic Information Agency of Xinhua News Agency, was released in Beijing.

"Report" shows that Jinchang City industrial chain innovation and development index reached 211.4 points, an increase of 18.1%, compared with the base period (2020) to achieve an average annual compound growth rate of 20.6%. Among them, industrial chain efficiency, industrial chain integration, and industrial chain led the overall growth of the three core indicators, with year-on-year increases of 17.1%, 17.9% and 24.1% respectively in 2024.

Jinchang City, located in the west of Gansu Province, is the largest nickel and cobalt production base in China. It once faced the dual challenges of resource dependence and ecological pressure. In recent years, the local "strong industry" action as the starting point, to promote the industrial chain to high-end, intelligent, green upgrade. In 2024, Jinchang's regional GDP increased by 13.6% year-on-year, the industrial added value above designated size increased by 24.6%, and the total volume of foreign trade and import accounted for nearly "half of the country" in Gansu Province, and won the first prize of high-quality Development Contribution Award in Gansu Province for 12 consecutive quarters.

It is understood that the core of Jinchang's transformation lies in the reconstruction of the industrial system. Relying on the advantages of nickel and cobalt resources, the local government proposed to build a "2+4" modern industrial cluster of "new energy and new energy batteries, non-ferrous metals and new materials 200 billion industrial chain" and "digital economy, chemical recycling, comprehensive utilization of resources, high-quality vegetables, grass and livestock 4 billion industrial chain", and the city is changing from a single mining industry to the whole industrial chain. In 2024, the output value of the industrial cluster reached 198.56 billion yuan, an increase of 26.1% year-on-year, accounting for more than 85% of the city's total industrial output value.

The "Report" shows that Jinchang City's "three ways" to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, the cultivation and growth of emerging industries and the forward-looking layout of future industries have achieved obvious results. In 2024, the industrial chain integration sub-index ran 219.22 points, an increase of 17.9% over the same period last year, doubling compared with the base period (2020).

In 2024, 75 industrial leading enterprises in Jinchang contributed 126.308 billion yuan of output value, of which Jinchuan Group, with the strength of the 300th in the world's top 500, led the non-ferrous metal new material industry chain to exceed 100 billion scale. Jinchang City through the establishment of key industrial chain chain system, special class system, chain master enterprise system and other "seven mechanisms", the city enterprises jointly set up 21 industrial chain investment promotion classes, successfully introduced Longbai Group, Trina Solar and other 15 industry leaders, forming a magnetic field effect of "introducing one, driving a string".

Jinchang City also adopts the mode of "city-enterprise linkage + school-enterprise collaboration" to open up the "last kilometer" of scientific and technological achievements transformation, and the industry chain innovation has entered the period of achievement transformation. According to the report, the number of effective invention patents per 10,000 population in Jinchang City showed explosive growth, reaching 13.81 in 2023, 6.3 times that of 2013. Among them, Jinchuan Group Ma Yutian "a new generation of green and efficient extraction of rare metal technology and application" won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.

The "Report" finally suggested that Jinchang City should focus on the construction of a national nickel and cobalt strategic base, undertake the eastern industrial transfer, strengthen talent education, layout of low-altitude economy and artificial intelligence and other future industries, optimize the business environment, and further release the "chain main coordination, park agglomeration, innovation driven" multiplier effect.

It is understood that the index was first released in 2023, and built a three-tier and four-factor model of Jinchang's industrial chain innovation and urban integrated development. From the perspective of city, industry and factors, the innovation practice of Jinchang's industrial chain was deeply analyzed and comprehensively evaluated, with the benefit, integration, leadership and innovation of the industrial chain as the evaluation dimension. It aims to present the innovation effect of this northwest industrial city in industrial transformation and upgrading in a digital and systematic way, and provide a "Jinchang sample" for the transformation and upgrading of resource-based cities in the country.