Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, has taken a significant step towards transforming its economy by releasing a comprehensive set of measures designed to integrate technological and industrial innovation. Announced on August 25, the ‘Measures for Advancing Deep Integration of Technological Innovation and Industrial Innovation’ and its implementation plan aim to place economic and social development on an innovation-driven path, accelerating the city’s emergence as a key growth pole for high-quality development in northern China.
The policy, comprising 20 measures, comes with a clear message: ‘The less developed a region is, the more it needs to pursue an innovation-driven development strategy.’ This resolve is backed by tangible strengths, including the National Dairy Technology Innovation Centre, which has reduced dairy-cattle breeding evaluation from four years to 45 days and developed China’s first probiotic strain for infants from Chinese breast milk. This supports Hohhot’s ambition to advance from ‘Dairy Capital of China’ to a global dairy hub.
Additionally, a major scientific facility for aerospace and sky-to-ground metrology is under construction in Horinger New District, and Inner Mongolia University of Technology has launched the region’s first new-energy industrial large model. A domestic enterprise is also the sole producer of 4N5 high-purity germanium products, helping to overcome bottlenecks in quantum technology and photovoltaics.
Hohhot’s commitment is further demonstrated by its fiscal investment: municipal science and technology spending will double in 2026 and again in 2027. New national-level innovation platforms will receive a one-off grant of RMB 3 million, and each ‘Qingcheng Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talent’ may receive up to RMB 500,000. By 2030, the city aims to attract 10 more academicians and 50 high-level innovation teams. The policy also introduces ‘enjoy benefits without application’ for computing-power vouchers, model vouchers, and token vouchers for tech SMEs, lowering barriers to innovation.
Openness is a defining feature of Hohhot’s strategy. Leveraging the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the city is building an international science and technology cooperation base with Belt and Road countries. It is also deepening coordination with Beijing’s Haidian District through a ‘two-hour innovation circle’, exploring a model where R&D occurs elsewhere and results are transformed in Hohhot. This approach reflects the city’s understanding that innovation cannot thrive in isolation.
Drawing on its cultural heritage, Hohhot compares itself to the Mongolian horse—resilient and determined. The city’s character combines the grasslands’ inclusiveness with a pioneering spirit to open northwards. From the ‘Dairy Capital’ to ‘Cloud Valley’, from Chilechuan to Horinger, this green city is transforming into a city of innovation. Hohhot extends an invitation to the world, offering supportive policies and real-world application scenarios for those who strive to build the future.
