In 2024, Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, saw a surge in innovation, accelerating the cultivation of new quality productive forces and injecting fresh energy into its high-quality development.

Since the approval of the comprehensive national science center and the science and technology innovation center, the city has rapidly advanced the formation of an innovation-driven economy.

Efforts have been stepped up in areas such as platform development, future industry layout, talent attraction, tech-finance integration, and the construction of a dynamic innovation ecosystem.

Among the emerging industries driving Xi'an's dual centers initiative, photonics stands out. Located in the Silk Road Science City – the core area of the dual centers – the photonics industry has flourished, with 168 photonics enterprises contributing to a core industry scale approaching 20 billion yuan ($2.75 billion).

The Silk Road Science City, covering 15.6 square kilometers, now hosts an industry population of 437,000 people and has built 117 kilometers of roads. Nearly 4,000 enterprises have been established, forming two trillion-yuan industry clusters revolving around optoelectronics and new energy vehicles, respectively.

Currently, Xi'an boasts over 1,400 research institutions, 69 academicians, and nearly 1 million skilled professionals, contributing to a thriving innovation ecosystem. The city has also built 448 key laboratories, including 30 national-level labs. The numbers of high-tech enterprises and tech-driven small and medium-sized enterprises have surpassed 13,000 and 16,000, respectively.

In 2025, Xi'an will prioritize the high-quality development of the dual centers as its core development strategy, seeking to play an even greater role in China's modernization and contribute significantly to the nation's long-term progress.