nnovative enterprises are an important force for Shanghai to continuously improve its urban capabilities and core competitiveness, accelerate the construction of the "five centers," and modernize its industrial system. On the morning of December 5, 2023, the first batch of Shanghai Innovative Enterprise Headquarters Licensing Ceremony was held. Gong Zheng, Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Shanghai, awarded licenses to 40 innovative enterprise headquarters, including Westwell Technology, and took a group photo.
Four Distinctive Features of the First Batch of Innovative Headquarters
Shanghai's innovative enterprise headquarters are an important support for the Shanghai Municipal Government to accelerate the development of an innovative economy, encourage high-tech enterprises, specialized and innovative enterprises, and enterprise technology centers to further enhance their capabilities, and accelerate the creation of composite enterprise headquarters. This provides support for the construction of a globally influential technology innovation center. It addresses the innovation requirements proposed by strategic emerging industries in key areas, and is led by the Office of the Shanghai Strategic Emerging Industries Leading Group. The people's governments of various districts and relevant units provide support and guarantees.
According to media reports, the 40 innovative enterprise headquarters awarded this time cover key industries such as integrated circuits, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy. They mainly exhibit the following characteristics:
First, they have strong leadership. The awarded enterprises are leading companies in their respective industries and technological innovators. Over 90% of the products and services of these enterprises are at the forefront in the domestic and even global markets, with a strong industry position and influence.
Second, they have strong innovation capabilities. The awarded enterprises have high research and development investment, with over 50% of them introducing first-class new drugs or domestically and globally pioneering products. More than 10% of the enterprises have won national or municipal scientific and technological progress awards.
Third, they have high growth potential. The awarded enterprises are market entities with good development momentum in recent years. Twenty-two of the enterprises have been listed at home and abroad in recent years, demonstrating strong development vitality. Over 60% of the enterprises have achieved a compound annual growth rate of over 30% in revenue in the past three years, achieving high-speed growth.
Fourth, they exhibit obvious agglomeration development. The regional agglomeration effect of the awarded enterprises is relatively consistent with the positioning of various districts' strategic emerging industry clusters. Additionally, the awarded enterprises have two or more branch offices or subsidiaries outside of Shanghai. Their headquarters in Shanghai have multiple functions, including management, settlement, and research and development. Most of the enterprises have achieved global deployment.
Shanghai's Innovative Soil Accelerates Westwell Technology's Rapid Growth
The city spirit of being open, innovative, and inclusive, as well as the city character of accommodating all rivers and pursuing excellence, discernment, and humility, personally summarized and refined by General Secretary Xi Jinping, has become the soil for Westwell Technology's rapid growth in Shanghai.
Benefiting from Shanghai's favorable business environment, Westwell Technology, which officially formed a team in January 2016, has continuously innovated through AI and autonomous driving technology to empower the logistics industry. Their solutions have covered freight logistics in seaports, land ports, airports, manufacturing plants, and other scenarios. The company's products and services have been deployed in over 18 countries and regions, serving over 160 clients. The company has also been awarded titles such as "World Intellectual Property Organization Global Award," "China High-Tech Enterprise," "China Specialized and New Small Giant Enterprise," "National May Fourth Red Flag League Branch," "National Intellectual Property Advantage Enterprise," "Shanghai Enterprise Technology Center," "Shanghai Worker Pioneer," "Shanghai Youth May Fourth Medal Collective," and "Shanghai Harmonious Labor Relations Standard Enterprise."
In recent years, Westwell Technology has consciously explored, organized, and led innovative development, promoting innovation in production organization, technology, and the market. The company's new energy intelligent driving solutions have continued to innovate, launching multiple types of new energy intelligent commercial vehicles such as Q-Truck (full-time unmanned new energy commercial vehicle), E-Truck (intelligent connected new energy heavy-duty truck), Q-Tractor (new energy unmanned tractor), and Q-Chassis (unmanned heavy-duty horizontal transport vehicle), forming a diversified product matrix to empower container logistics. These products can adapt to the different needs of global users and have been at the forefront in achieving "global product development + commercial landing + global scale capacity."
Image Source: WESTWELL
In September 2018, Westwell Technology's Q-Truck, the world's first full-time unmanned new energy commercial vehicle, was launched, redefining commercial vehicles through innovative "driverless cabin" technology and incorporating the transformation of unmanned driving products into every aspect of container logistics. Since 2020, Q-Truck has been commercially deployed in China, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Mexico, and other countries.
The selection of Westwell Technology as one of the first batch of innovative enterprise headquarters in Shanghai is an affirmation of the company's innovation strength. In the future, Westwell Technology will continue to promote the evolution of intelligent green technology with the philosophy of "From Human to Human," bringing more innovation and value to global intelligent large-scale logistics users, making global production factors more prosperous.