Hohhot's innovation platforms drive momentum in industries

Hohhot, capital city of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has harnessed its diverse innovation platforms to pool resources, accelerate the commercialization of scientific achievements and inject strong momentum into regional development.

Modern metropolis: A bird’s-eye view of Hohhot city. [Photo/Hohhot Convergence Media]

One example of this is at the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle R&D Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Inner Mongolia Research Institute, where a breakthrough hydrogen-powered long-endurance transport drone has been developed.

Designed to serve grassland logistics, emergency supply deliveries and border patrols, the drone is leveraging its zero-emissions advantages to pioneer a greener low-altitude economy.

Overall, a series of innovation platforms in Hohhot is yielding great outcomes.

The National Dairy Technology Innovation Center's projects have won top industry awards; the National Forage Technology Innovation Center (currently being built) has cultivated 25 new varieties adopted in China's "Three-North" ecological program; and the Inner Mongolia branch of the National Swine Technology Innovation Center has secured seven invention patents and three new veterinary drug certificates.

An interview view of the Yili Future Intelligence & Health Valley in Hohhot. [Photo/Hohhot Convergence Media]

The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Northern Animal Husbandry Technology Innovation Center has rolled out a high-yield corn technology covering 100,000 mu (6,667 hectares) citywide, boosting yields by 1.4 metric tons per mu.

Meanwhile, the Energy-Transport Integration Innovation Center has built China's first shared charging-and-swapping station for heavy trucks and led the drafting of an international standard in the field.

In the first half of 2025, Hohhot added seven new autonomous region-level innovation platforms. The dairy industrial cluster saw its full industrial chain revenue top 280 billion yuan ($39.39 billion) during the period, while the biopharmaceutical sector posted 11.01 billion yuan in output in the first six months, underscoring its vibrant transformation and upgrading.

In parallel, Hohhot's Mengkeju platform, the regional science and technology coordination hub, has attracted nearly 6,000 innovation entities and facilitated the transfer of over 7,500 sci-tech achievements.

That has provided support for the city's ambitions to become a regional hub for science and innovation.