An aerial view of Ningbo. [Photo/Yongpai App]

Ningbo convened its annual "first meeting of Chinese New Year" on Feb 25, setting a clear goal for the year: building a first-class innovation ecosystem and creating a first-class business environment.

The decision reflects confidence in the city's long-standing spirit of reform, but also a sober recognition that global competition, rapid technological change, and shifting industrial patterns demand new approaches.

Technological advances are reshaping how cities compete for talent, capital, and emerging industries. At the same time, traditional growth models built on resource inputs are losing effectiveness.

Ningbo faces its own structural pressures: a heavy industrial base, high energy consumption, and the urgent need to upgrade traditional sectors. Without accelerating new growth drivers, the city risks losing ground in a fast-moving landscape.

To seize the initiative, Ningbo has identified two key areas of focus: serving as a strategic pillar of the Shanghai-led sci-tech innovation center in the Yangtze River Delta region and becoming a national demonstration zone for new industrialization.

Nearly half of the city's 23 major reform projects this year focus on improving the innovation ecosystem, from AI development and talent mechanisms to intellectual property services and low-carbon reforms.

By prioritizing responsive governance and practical support for enterprises and innovators, Ningbo aims to create a fertile ground where new ideas, industries and growth drivers can flourish.