The Yangtze River Delta region has adopted its first-ever coordinated legislative framework for science and technology innovation, jointly proposed by the legislatures of Shanghai, and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

It will come into effect on September 1, 2025.

The four parties have approved a resolution which has outlined measures to support innovation across the region by promoting joint research, shared platforms, and improved resource exchange. It also emphasizes the key role of enterprises in driving innovation.

Cui Kai, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Office of the Shanghai People's Congress, noted that a key goal is to better align industrial development with scientific research.

As part of this effort, the resolution calls for establishing a joint basic research fund for the region to support cross-regional, cross-disciplinary collaboration on application-oriented research guided by clear industrial goals.

The decision also encourages closer collaboration among universities, research institutes, and enterprises in key sectors such as integrated circuits, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence. It seeks to make it easier to commercialize research through approaches like "use-first, pay-later" and open licensing.

According to Wu Enyu, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Office of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress, Zhejiang was the first in the country to pilot the "use-first, pay-later" mechanism in 2021.

Under this model, universities and research institutions allow enterprises to trial institution-owned technologies free of charge. To date, over 8,000 scientific outcomes have been included in the province's sharing pool, with more than 2,500 free trials conducted.

The Yangtze River Delta region is China's most advanced urban cluster. Although it covers less than 4 percent of the country's land area, it accounts for about 25 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).

Xia Zhengfang, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Office of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress, noted that as early as July 2018, the legislatures of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui signed an agreement to coordinate local lawmaking efforts.

This latest joint decision demonstrates a renewed commitment to regional cooperation in science and technology and aims to strengthen the Yangtze River Delta's position as a global technology hub.