Nanjing’s new frontier: tech shapes the next-gen workplace

Two major events in May 2025 marked a pivotal moment in Nanjing’s digital economy. The signing of the agreement for AutoNavi's Low-Altitude East China Headquarters in Jiangbei New Area and the launch of the world's first 6G low-altitude experimental network by Purple Mountain Laboratories underscore the city's strategic push into future-facing industries. These developments highlight Nanjing's focus on three core pillars: AI (low-altitude economy/robotics), 5G/6G (future networks), and TMT (technology, media, and telecommunications sector including data elements).

Figure 1: Transformative demand shift: innovation hubs grow value in Nanjing’s main urban core

Source: JLL Research

Note 1: “Low-altitude economy”: a comprehensive economic formation characterized by various low-altitude flight activities of manned and unmanned aircraft, which drives the integrated development of related fields. Its related products primarily include drones, eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft), helicopters, traditional fixed-wing aircraft, among others, encompassing both consumer and industrial application scenarios.

Grounded in the digital and real economies, this industrial policy is accelerated by a ’rainforest innovation ecosystem’ where universities, enterprises and the government can collaborate seamlessly. 

Figure 2: Heat map of “Digital Economy” enterprises across Nanjing's commercial real estate market