As a provincial-level one, Jiangsu Gaochun Economic Development Zone, established by the approval of Jiangsu Provincial Government in October 1995, was begun to build in 2001, declared to approve the implementation of “General Plan of Gaochun New Area” in 2004, and passed the national review in 2006, with a total planning area of 42.25 square kilometers and buildable area of 29.5 square kilometers.
Jiangsu Gaochun Economic Development Zone, located in eastern suburbs of Gaochun County and southern Jiangsu block of the Yangtze River Delta, enjoys a very convenient transportation - Ninggao Expressway, Wutai Highway, Ningxuan Highway, Gaowang Road and Wutai Road passing through the county. As for the waterway, it enters into the “golden channel” of the Yangtze River in the west, and connects the Taihu Lake water system in the east and is traversed by the Wushen Canal, a third-class waterway. What’s more, Ninghang interurban railway and surround urban light rail have passed the planning.
In recent years, Gaochun Economic Development Zone conscientiously and vigorously implements the scientific development concept and strategy of “Industry-strengthened, Environment-based, Characteristics-promoted”, persists in the course of “Ecological Location, Intensive Exploitation, Compatible Development”, and plans to build Machinery Manufacturing Industrial Park, Electronic Information Industrial Park, New Materials Industrial Park, Green Foodstuff Industrial Park and Software Industrial Park these five industrial park. With the high standard and high quality infrastructure construction, it makes great efforts on attracting investment and project construction, the functions of the park are increasingly completed, the settled enterprises are pyramidally multiplied, its carrier image is never-ending changes, its comprehensive strength increases remarkably, so it is awarded as the Most Potential Investment Development Zone in the Yangtze River Delta.
Up to now, there are 125 newly-approved foreign-funded enterprises in total, with a contractual utilization of foreign capital of USD 500 million, including 12 enterprises over USD 10 million dollars, 391 newly-registered domestic enterprises, with a newly-increased registered capital of RMB8.5 billion, including 18 enterprises over RMB100 million. The zone has formed an industrial group of optoelectronics, automotive, mechanical and electromechanical integration. From January to August 2009, its industrial output value reached RMB15.1 billion, total operating revenue RMB 13.1 billion, industrial added value RMB 3.2 billion and fiscal revenue RMB 0.245 billion. It has become a main window of opening to the outside world, an important carrier of attracting investment and a new growth pole of economic development for Gaochun County.