Overseas expansion

Shanghai Westwell Technology is another company situated in Changning that has experienced rapid overseas expansion in the past year.

The company received an order placed by the United Kingdom's Hutchison Ports' Port of Felixstowe last September for the second batch of 34 autonomous trucks, which will double its fleet and cement its position as a leader in port automation, according to a Xinhuanet.com report. Felixstowe is one of the busiest container ports in the UK.

The first batch of 34 autonomous trucks deployed in 2025 has been operating at the port's Trinity Terminal alongside conventional trucks, marking Europe's first successful use of autonomous trucks in mixed-traffic operation, the report said.

"As customers focus more on the effectiveness of application in global logistics scenarios, including ports and airports, our unmanned vehicles have seen a clear increase in repurchase rates," said Tan Limin, chairman of Shanghai Westwell Technology, a logistics solutions provider specializing in AI and autopilot technology.

With more Chinese companies going global, the competition is shifting to gaining advantages in innovation, research and development, service quality, and supply chain enhancement, added Tan.

Both Black Lake Technologies and Shanghai Westwell Technology are among nearly 900 innovative enterprises in Silicon Alley's 1.48-square-kilometer core area.

Three science and technology innovation platforms were officially unveiled on April 17 in Changning, tasked with facilitating the area's transformation into a "global urban district" featuring borderless science and technology innovation integration. The vehicles to drive innovation — including Digisilicon, an industrial incubation ecosystem platform that integrates AI agents and embodied intelligence, and the East Hongqiao International Youth Sci-tech Center — are expected to further support the district's ambition to seize opportunities emerging from the development of new quality productive forces.

During the April 17 ceremony, the Changning district government announced a series of measures to position the district as a hub of core technological innovation, a birthplace of future industries, and a center for young innovative entrepreneurs.

On the same day, an industrial map of Changning district's embodied intelligence and AI agents was jointly released by the district's science and technology commission and the Shanghai AI Industry Association, that clearly outlined the district's industrial layout.

"If Changning district is viewed in three sections, the eastern, central and western areas each have their own priorities," said Xu Qi, deputy secretary-general of the SAIA.

Changning is located in the western part of the city and covers an area of 37.18 square kilometers.

Xu said the district's eastern section houses Silicon Alley and has a focus on innovation including AI algorithm research and development, integrated circuit design, and electronic materials.

The central part, based around the Hongqiao international trade center, specializes in high-value application scenarios such as integrating AI with culture, tourism and finance. The west side will actively develop an embodied intelligent robot industry park and headquarters for companies aiming to go global.

"The three parts are designed to complement each other and form a complete innovation loop ranging from technology to global market development," Xu added.

wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn