A fresh term, "new-new three sectors," has recently gained traction in trade discussions. You may be familiar with the "old three sectors"—apparel, furniture, and home appliances—and the "new three sectors"—new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells. Now, artificial intelligence, robotics, and innovative drugs, representing future industrial directions, are emerging as China's new foreign trade calling cards, dubbed the "new-new three sectors." As the sole national-level new area in Jiangsu Province, the Jiangbei New Area, always at the forefront of industrial development, finds itself in the midst of this trend. How many of these sectors does it hold? The answer is: all of them.
Artificial Intelligence Attracts Industry Giants
Recently, a company named Agnes AI has frequently appeared on international authoritative AI evaluation leaderboards, with its self-developed large model ranking among the global top ten multiple times. Competing alongside it are familiar names like OpenAI, DeepSeek, Zhipu, and KIMI. This "dark horse" in the global AI circle has its domestic headquarters, Aisi Technology, landing in the new area. In the last week of July, the token processing volume for Agnes's three models reached 8.16 trillion, placing their service scale in the first tier of global large model services. Expanding the view beyond large models—at the start of the year, the globally leading AI application platform MyFutura also established its global R&D headquarters in Jiangbei, having served over 210,000 enterprises in their overseas expansion. Deep Control, focusing on physical AI, covers business in more than ten countries and regions across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. In the integrated circuit sector, the "heart" of AI, Huatian Technology recorded an overseas export amount of $250 million in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 193.5%.
Robots Deployed Worldwide
CJiTech is the most representative robot company in the new area. In recent years, its overseas orders have seen explosive growth, with products sold to 38 countries and regions worldwide. This year, CJiTech launched a "global tour"—at industrial exhibitions in Russia, Germany, and Brazil, their booths were consistently packed, and in October, the team will head to the US for exhibitions and sales. Meanwhile, Xinghe Huineng's climbing robots are cleaning oil stains on wind turbine towers in Uzbekistan. Mober's logistics robots are already working in overseas warehouses in South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Germany. Weilan Technology's BabyAlpha robot dog has sold 25,000 units, becoming a "new family member" in countless homes. These robots, produced on assembly lines in the new area, are making their mark globally.
Innovative Drugs Accelerate Global Expansion
Innovative drugs represent the sector with the highest technological barriers and the longest cycles among the "new-new three sectors." Beneath Longwang Mountain, a pattern of "innovation in the new area, global orders" is taking shape, with Jiangbei's innovative drugs racing to the world. IASO Biotherapeutics' self-developed CAR-T drug, due to its outstanding clinical results, has attracted over 60 overseas patients from countries like South Africa, Switzerland, and New Zealand to travel to China specifically for treatment. The company has also established a "cross-border drug supply network" covering Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania, and secured marketing approval in Singapore in June. Beyond selling innovative drugs globally, the area is also winning overseas giants' active orders with hardcore innovation. Companies like Simcere Pharmaceutical, Impact Therapeutics, and LivelikeBio have successively secured out-licensing deals. Simcere partnered with global pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim to jointly develop its bispecific antibody drug SIM0709, potentially receiving up to RMB 8 billion in payments. A licensing deal between LivelikeBio and US-based Dianthus Therapeutics reached a total transaction value of $1 billion.
Foresight Sowed the Seeds for the "New-New Three Sectors"
The "new-new three sectors" are all present. This is no stroke of luck or coincidence; long before the term became a buzzword, the Jiangbei New Area had already planted seeds in these three tracks. As the province's only national-level new area and the location of the Nanjing area of the China (Jiangsu) Pilot Free Trade Zone, its industrial foundation is inherently marked by "newness." As a key engine for the city's high-quality development, the new area has positioned itself accurately, striving to build a "2+4+N" modern industrial system. The "new-new three sectors" are precisely the three most brilliant pieces of this puzzle. In the AI race, from building computing power infrastructure to expanding application scenarios, establishing an AI industry alliance, and releasing the "Jiangbei New Area AI Industry Development Action Plan (2025-2027)," each step outlines a clear roadmap for future industries. It was this foresight that led industry giants like MyFutura and Aisi Technology to choose to "place their pieces" here. In the robotics track, the area didn't build from scratch; it leveraged the deep foundations of leading companies like Nanjing Automobile, CRRC, and Sumec. During this process, over 300 upstream and downstream enterprises flocked in, and specialized platforms like the Jiangsu Provincial Digital Economy Society's Humanoid Robot Industry Research Institute and the Embodied Intelligent Robot Standardization Promotion Center were established. An industrial loop integrating R&D, manufacturing, and application has already taken shape. The cultivation of innovative drugs, however, is more like a "slow burn." Over a decade of effort, the new area built a biomedical public service platform, established the Jiangsu Provincial Drug Administration's Review and Inspection Jiangbei New Area Branch, and landed the first national-level university regional technology transfer and transformation center, quietly nurturing a "biomedical rainforest." Here, over 1,300 life and health enterprises have taken root and grown. Outstanding players like Simcere, IASO Bio, and Impact, who are "selling drugs overseas," are the towering trees that have grown in this rainforest. Beyond industrial clustering, an "invisible hand" supports this—a "1+2+1+N" fund matrix covering the entire enterprise lifecycle, providing ample financial "living water" for every technological leap. There must be a method for success. When the opportunity arises, those who ride the wave are always the cities that prepared in advance. Therefore, when long-term accumulation reaches a critical point, the framework for urban development expands, and the "new-new three sectors" in Jiangbei are experiencing a true "outbreak period." However, beyond achievements, calm reflection is needed. Ultimately, the "new-new three sectors" compete on original innovation capability and industrial influence, testing not just the start but also endurance. Currently, while the new area has many application-layer products in AI, the original capability of foundational large models still needs to catch up. The robotics industry has breakthroughs in specific areas, but in the track of humanoid robots, representing the highest industry standard, there is no significant "Jiangbei face" for complete machines. Licensing deals for innovative drugs are frequently reported, but most products are still in early clinical stages, with a long road ahead to independent commercialization in major global markets, transitioning from "selling pipelines" to "selling original drugs." Transforming the first-mover advantage from foresight into a sustainable, leading industrial capability requires continuous deep cultivation in core technology breakthroughs, cross-sector integration, and innovation ecosystem building. After all, the journey from "having everything" to "being excellent at everything" is never a quick one.