A panoramic view of Hangzhou. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

As 2025 passes its midpoint, the districts of Hangzhou — capital of East China's Zhejiang province — have unveiled new economic targets, signaling a shift from traditional growth engines towards AI-driven industries.

One of them, Shangcheng district, is evolving from a Central Business District into a Central Innovation District. Elsewhere, Gongshu is building an AI innovation hub, already home to 56 large-scale AI firms and aiming for 150 by 2030. Meanwhile, Xihu district has partnered with tech giant Alibaba to expand the ModelScope open-source AI community, now with 16 million developers worldwide.

Binjiang district, home to tech giants like Hikvision and Geely, is doubling down on frontier technologies, while Yuhang district is betting on the low-altitude economy, humanoid robotics and brain-inspired intelligence.

Over at Qiantang, the district is focusing on biomedicines and embodied AI, with more than 70 high-potential companies already in place.

From future factories in Linping district that produce elevators every two minutes to AI-powered smart kitchens in Fuyang district, Hangzhou is embedding digital intelligence into its manufacturing, lifestyle and services.

Officials describe the strategy as a multi-point breakthrough that fuses technological innovation with industrial growth — positioning Hangzhou to lead in next-generation industries from AI+healthcare to AI+manufacturing.

Flying Valley in Yuhang district aims to boost the low-altitude economy. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]