Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, has taken a significant step toward positioning itself as a hub for innovation-driven development. On 25 August, the city released its Measures for Advancing Deep Integration of Technological Innovation and Industrial Innovation, a set of 20 policies designed to steer economic and social progress onto an innovation-led trajectory. The move underscores Hohhot's ambition to become a key growth pole for high-quality development in northern China.
The conference highlighted a pragmatic belief: "The less developed a region is, the more it needs to pursue an innovation-driven development strategy." This resolve is backed by tangible achievements. For instance, the National Dairy Technology Innovation Centre has reduced dairy-cattle breeding evaluation from four years to just 45 days and developed China's first probiotic strain for infants derived from Chinese breast milk. These advances support Hohhot's goal of evolving from the "Dairy Capital of China" into a global dairy hub.
In the Horinger New District, a major scientific facility for aerospace and cross-scale metrology is under construction, benchmarked against international standards. Inner Mongolia University of Technology has launched the region's first new-energy industrial large model, open to the world. Additionally, a domestic enterprise, the only one capable of consistently producing 4N5 high-purity germanium, is helping overcome raw-material bottlenecks in quantum technology and photovoltaics. These examples illustrate how technological and industrial innovation are converging in Hohhot, reinforcing each other.
The city's commitment is also fiscal. Municipal investment in science and technology is set to double in 2026 and again in 2027. Newly recognized national-level innovation platforms will receive a one-off research grant of RMB 3 million, while leading talents in the "Qingcheng Science and Technology Innovation" program may receive up to RMB 500,000 in research support. By 2030, Hohhot aims to attract 10 additional academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, along with 50 high-level innovation teams.
A key feature of the policy is its "enjoy benefits without application" approach, providing inclusive computing-power, model, and token vouchers to technology-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises. This lowers barriers to innovation and reflects the city's sincerity in supporting innovators.
Openness defines 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 pathway where R&D occurs elsewhere but results are transformed and applied in Hohhot. This approach acknowledges that innovation cannot thrive in isolation.
Hohhot's character, likened to the resilient Mongolian horse, combines the inclusiveness of the grasslands with a pioneering spirit. From the "Cloud Valley" to the computing-power clusters of Horinger, the city is transforming into a green innovation hub. Hohhot extends an invitation to the world, offering supportive policies, real-world application scenarios, and a genuine commitment to partnership.
