Ningbo has been ranked sixth in the Yangtze River Delta, a region encompassing the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui as well as Shanghai municipality, in terms of innovation ecosystem, according to a report.

The report evaluated the innovation ecosystems of 41 cities in the delta region based on factors such as innovation resources, innovation output, industry potential and environmental support.

Shanghai topped the ranking, followed by Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Hefei, Ningbo, Wuxi, Changzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou.

Ningbo came in fifth in terms of industry potential. This achievement can be largely attributed to efforts made by the city to develop its strategic emerging industries.

The local government has been focused on developing cutting-edge sectors including new materials, high-end equipment, electronic information, biomedicine, new energy vehicles, energy conservation and environmental protection, while blazing new trails in emerging industries like industrial Internet, semiconductors, advanced functional equipment, aerospace information, hydrogen energy and blockchain.

Wu Shouren, deputy head of the Shanghai Institute of Science, called for more coordinated efforts from governments to facilitate the sharing of innovation resources in the region.