How should Ningbo make use of its geographical advantages?

As the city group with the strongest comprehensive strength in China, the Yangtze River Delta will show an accelerated development trend in the next 20 years. As a sub-central city in the Yangtze River Delta, Ningbo has good opportunities in the new round of regional development, but it also faces many challenges. Under the guidance of Scientific Outlook on Development, how to define the development direction, give full play to the superior resource endowment, further enhance Ningbo's urban function, enhance Ningbo's strategic position in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and achieve sound and rapid development is a major strategic issue for Ningbo's current economic and social development. 1. The coming period will be a period of strategic opportunities for the development of the Yangtze River Delta. After nearly 30 years of rapid development of reform and opening-up, the Yangtze River Delta region, which consists of Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, has become an urban agglomeration or economic circle with the strongest comprehensive economic strength, the best industrial development foundation, the greatest influence and driving effect on the whole country, a high level of social development and relatively rich people's lives. The regional economic development of the Yangtze River Delta has some unique advantages: First, it has unique location advantages. The Yangtze River Delta is located in the middle of the eastern coast of China, the center of the Asia-Pacific Economic Zone and the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, and has excellent maritime transportation conditions. At the same time, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River run through the northern cities of the Yangtze River Delta and Shanghai, which can drive the central and western regions of China upstream and become the leader of national development; The second is a solid industrial economic foundation. The Yangtze River Delta region is the birthplace of modern industry in China, and the level of industrial and commercial development has been ahead of other regions. With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization and a high degree of modernization, the per capita GDP has reached more than 4,500 US dollars, reaching a moderately developed level, making it the region with the strongest comprehensive economic strength in China. Third, reform and opening up were earlier. The system reform in the Yangtze River Delta started earlier, the private economy developed, the market system developed relatively well, the system and mechanism were flexible, and enterprises were full of vitality. At the same time, it has an early opening to the outside world, a high degree of economic extroversion, active foreign trade, active introduction of foreign capital and extensive foreign cooperation, which is the key area of China's foreign trade export, introduction of foreign capital and foreign economic cooperation; Fourth, science, education and culture are relatively developed. The Yangtze River Delta region is rich in humanities, talents and science and education. 16 Half of the cities are famous cities in science and education or historical and cultural cities. Fifth, the urbanization process is relatively fast. The Yangtze River Delta region has developed economy, rapid urbanization, dense population, complete urban system and relatively clear division of urban functions. Shanghai is an international metropolis with a prominent leading position in the Yangtze River Delta. Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Suzhou, as regional sub-central cities, have clear positioning and functions, and a number of small and medium-sized cities with their own characteristics and vitality are developing strongly. The organic combination of cities in the Yangtze River Delta makes it a leader in promoting national economic development and has the foundation to become a world-class urban agglomeration. Of course, there are also some inherent deficiencies in the economic development of the Yangtze River Delta region, such as the serious bottleneck of resources and environment, the internal cooperation and coordination mechanism to be improved, and the ability to participate in international competition to be improved. Under the background of the current globalization of the world economy and the vigorous development of the new technological revolution, the process of transferring production bases by international multinational corporations has been accelerated. The superior conditions in the Yangtze River Delta make it a bridgehead for international industrial capital to land in China, and also an important gateway for the whole country and even East Asia to contact the international market. The Yangtze River Delta is facing a period of strategic opportunities for development: First, it is a period of strategic opportunities for opening wider to the outside world and upgrading the level of internationalization. In the future, with the advancement of economic globalization, international industrial capital led by multinational companies will further accelerate the adjustment of strategic layout, and manufacturing capital will be transferred from developed countries to developing countries and regions with good industrial foundation and great market potential. The Yangtze River Delta has become the bridgehead for international industrial capital to enter Chinese mainland due to its superior geographical location and solid manufacturing base. At present, more than 400 of the world's top 500 enterprises have set up business headquarters or offices in Shanghai, and invested in industrial projects and set up production bases in the Yangtze River Delta region. With the end of the transition period of China's accession to the WTO, China's opening to the outside world will be further expanded, the role and position of the Yangtze River Delta in the country's opening to the outside world will be further highlighted, there will be more and more foreign exchanges in the Yangtze River Delta region, and the degree of internationalization will be continuously improved; The second is the strategic opportunity period of industrial upgrading, industrialization, urbanization and modernization. Under the guidance of Scientific Outlook on Development, the manufacturing industry has developed rapidly, the industrialization process has been accelerated, the industrial structure has been continuously optimized and upgraded, the mode of economic growth has gradually changed, the proportion of service industry and industries representing the development direction of advanced technology has been rising, industries that consume resources and pollute the environment have been gradually eliminated, and industrial competitiveness has been continuously enhanced. At the same time, under the impetus of industrialization, the process of urbanization is accelerating and social undertakings have made remarkable progress; The third is the period of strategic opportunities to enhance the functions of urban agglomerations and enhance the comprehensive strength of the region. In the new round of development cycle, the Yangtze River Delta is not only an important industrial base, but also will provide effective services to the surrounding areas and even the whole country in terms of finance, trade, logistics, science and technology, management and intermediary services, thus driving the national economic development and acting as the locomotive of development. Second, Ningbo has excellent conditions for its rise in the south wing of the Yangtze River Delta. As an important port city in the southeast coast of China, an advanced manufacturing base in East China, a sub-central city in the Yangtze River Delta and a national historical and cultural city, Ningbo is an important supporting point for regional development in the Yangtze River Delta. In the process of regional economic development in the Yangtze River Delta, Ningbo has good conditions for accelerating development. Ningbo has its unique advantages in the new round of development process and has good conditions for accelerating development: First, the port resources are unique. Ningbo Port is a multi-functional, comprehensive and modern international deep-water port integrating inland river port, estuary port and seaport, with increasingly perfect supporting transportation network, strong port production capacity and fourth cargo throughput in the world. It is an important part of Shanghai International Shipping Center. The superior advantages of port resources provide a strong impetus for Ningbo's opening up and industrial development; Second, good geographical advantages and increasingly perfect transportation infrastructure. Ningbo is located in the middle of the southeast coast of China, with a very open sea. Ningbo Port is located in the center of Asian ports, within 0/000 km from major Asian ports/kloc-,and it is also very convenient to contact European and American ports. In recent years, the investment in the construction of transportation facilities in Ningbo has been continuously increased, and the land transportation conditions have been significantly improved. The developed land and sea transportation network system will provide a strong impetus for Ningbo's economic development and urban function improvement; The third is a solid industrial foundation. In the past 30 years of reform and opening up, Ningbo's economic development has achieved leap-forward development, with the total economic output ranking in the forefront of national 15 cities, the sixth in sub-provincial cities and the second in the whole province. The industrial structure has formed a good situation with industry as the main body, accelerated development of service industry and stable development of agriculture. The industrial system has formed three pillars: traditional advantageous industries, port-facing industries and high-tech industries. The output of 244 products ranks first in China 10, and the output of 1 14 industry ranks first in China. Ningbo has become an important manufacturing base in East China. A good industrial foundation has laid a solid foundation for Ningbo to highlight its leading role in the development of advanced manufacturing industry in the south wing of the Yangtze River Delta. The fourth is a flexible economic operation mechanism. Ningbo's reform and opening up started earlier, the private economy was relatively developed, and the ownership structure formed a good situation in which various ownership economies flourished and promoted each other. The local government is well managed and the enterprise mechanism is flexible and efficient. In recent years, Ningbo's mechanism, system and enterprise management have been among the best in the evaluation of urban comprehensive competitiveness. The advantage of flexible system and mechanism makes the market mechanism play an effective regulatory role in economic operation; Fifth, a long tradition of business culture. Ningbo has a foreign trade history of 1000 years, a long tradition of emphasizing education and literature, and a profound cultural heritage of Confucian businessmen. Influenced by the excellent Confucian merchant culture, many excellent Ningbo businessmen emerged in modern times. Besides, Ningbo, Shanghai and southern Jiangsu all belong to Wuyue culture, and Ningbo has a good cultural foundation to connect with Shanghai and integrate into the Yangtze River Delta. Of course, there are also many constraints in the development of Ningbo: First, the pressure on resources and environment is enormous. Ningbo lacks mineral resources and primary energy needed for production, and water resources are not abundant. Although the secondary energy power production capacity is strong, the local available power is still insufficient. Most of the energy and raw materials needed by industrial enterprises need to be purchased from other places, and the relative cost is high. At the same time, Ningbo is in the middle stage of industrialization, and the heavy chemical industry is developing rapidly, especially the industry of Lingang University. The resource-consuming industries in the industrial structure are rising rapidly, which brings more serious resource pressure. Second, the foundation of science and technology and talents is weak. Over the years, there are few universities and scientific research institutions in Ningbo, and there are few platforms to attract talents. There is a serious shortage of human resources and weak scientific and technological strength. In recent years, through the implementation of the "No.1 Project" to revitalize the city through science and education, the talent shortage has been greatly alleviated and the scientific and technological strength has been significantly enhanced. However, due to the low starting point and weak foundation, compared with similar brother cities, technology and talents are still weak, which affects the development ability of Ningbo and its influence on neighboring cities. Third, the level of urbanization is low and the function of the central city is not strong. Ningbo's urban foundation is weak, the urbanization process starts late, the built-up area of the central city is small, the development of service industry which embodies urban functions lags behind, and it lacks service and driving ability to the surrounding areas. Third, Ningbo must have a clear direction and improve its function in the future development. If Ningbo wants to seize the great opportunity of the development of the Yangtze River Delta and continuously improve its strategic position in the Yangtze River Delta, it must identify the gap, give full play to its advantages, clarify its direction, enhance its functions, and promote its sound and rapid development in the realization of regional prosperity in the Yangtze River Delta. First, we must find a correct positioning and clarify the development priorities. If Ningbo wants to take the lead in developing in the Yangtze River Delta region, it must find the right position and make clear the development focus according to its own resource endowment. The biggest advantage of Ningbo lies in its port and geographical location. We must find our own development direction around the port and location and establish our position in the Yangtze River Delta. First of all, we should highlight the advantages of port resources, identify the positioning of the south wing of the Yangtze River Delta and the modern logistics center of Zhejiang Province, and cooperate with Shanghai to become an international shipping center in Asia and a gateway to the outside world. Accelerate Ningbo? Accelerate the development and construction of Zhoushan Port, constantly improve the land transportation network, further expand the hinterland of container transportation, speed up the construction of information infrastructure, and strive to form a modern logistics center in Zhejiang Province serving the whole province and surrounding areas; Second, use ports to develop advanced manufacturing industries. Ningbo's port industry, high-tech industry and traditional advantageous industries have a certain foundation, but they need further transformation and upgrading. Port-adjacent industries will focus on petrochemical, energy, steel, shipbuilding, paper making and other industries with good foundation. High-tech industries should be further expanded and upgraded, and breakthroughs should be made in communication equipment, new materials, optoelectronics and biomedicine. Transform and upgrade traditional advantageous industries, and strive for independent brands on the basis of becoming stronger and bigger; Third, opening wider to the outside world has become a hot spot for foreign investment. Ningbo has two national economic and technological development zones, the only bonded zone in the province, two export processing zones, a national chemical industrial park and several provincial economic and technological development zones. With the end of the transition period of China's entry into WTO and the further opening up, Ningbo has a good opportunity to introduce foreign capital and a new platform. In the future, the focus of attracting foreign investment should shift from quantity to quality, and guide foreign investment to develop in the direction of high technology and service industry. The second is to integrate with Shanghai and fully integrate into the Yangtze River Delta. As an international metropolis, Shanghai has the advantages of finance, trade, information, technology and talents that Ningbo lacks. For Ningbo, Shanghai is not only a bridgehead to explore the international market, but also a strategic place to seize the domestic market and a huge platform for Ningbo to go global. The key to integrating into the Yangtze River Delta lies in connecting with Shanghai and making full use of this huge resource platform. First of all, we should carry out extensive exchanges and cooperation with Shanghai, make full use of Shanghai's superior resources, especially international economic and trade information, financial intermediation, human resources, intermediary services and other resources to better carry out foreign trade, attract investment and international exchanges; The second is to strengthen infrastructure docking with Shanghai and other cities in the Yangtze River Delta. To connect with Shanghai and integrate into the Yangtze River Delta, we should not only strengthen the connection of hard infrastructure such as transportation, communication and water conservancy facilities, but also strengthen the connection of soft infrastructure such as policies, regulations and services to promote resource sharing and win-win cooperation in the region; Third, make use of Shanghai's superior educational resources to cultivate and introduce talents. Make full use of Shanghai's dense universities and scientific research institutions, take advantage of their advantages in information, technology, talents and management, carry out technical and talent cooperation, take advantage of Shanghai's advantages to cultivate Ningbo's talent team, or adopt flexible introduction methods to make Shanghai's talents serve Ningbo's economic and social development more; Fourth, strengthen the division of labor and cooperation within the Yangtze River Delta region. Cities in the Yangtze River Delta should define their own position according to their own resource advantages. Only by clarifying their main attack directions and focusing on division of labor and cooperation can we help each other and win-win cooperation. The third is to improve the function and improve the service capacity of the city. If Ningbo wants to play an important role in the development of the Yangtze River Delta, it must constantly improve its urban functions and enhance its service capabilities. To enhance Ningbo's urban functions, we must first strengthen the comprehensive economic strength and accelerate the development of service industry that embodies the urban functions. Give priority to the development of modern service industry, speed up the construction of regional commercial logistics and financial service centers, focus on the development of modern logistics, financial insurance, science and technology education, business services, bulk trade, information services, intermediary services, tourism and leisure, cultural entertainment and community services, and enhance the city's service capacity to surrounding areas. The second is to optimize the urban spatial layout. With the rapid progress of industrialization, more attention is paid to the optimization of urban structure; While expanding urban space, more attention should be paid to the improvement of urban functions; While the urban population is gathering and buildings are increasing, more attention is paid to the improvement of urban quality; Urban construction is carried out in an orderly manner in accordance with the strategic thinking of "expanding the east to the north and connecting the south with China". The third is to strengthen science and education and improve the ability of independent innovation. Implementing the strategy of independent innovation and building an innovative city is an important strategy for Ningbo's future development. It is necessary to continuously improve Ningbo's urban function through independent innovation, improve its influence and driving ability on surrounding cities, and enhance Ningbo's urban status in the Yangtze River Delta. Fourth, it is necessary to further accelerate the construction of infrastructure such as traffic roads, communication facilities, sewage, power grids and water supply and drainage.