Why global companies are expanding in WND

Wuxi National Hi-Tech District. [Photo/WeChat account: xinwu_wx]

Foreign investment in Wuxi National Hi-Tech District, also known as WND, is undergoing a major transformation. What began with factories and production lines is increasingly evolving into R&D centers, global supply hubs and interconnected industrial ecosystems.

Swedish industrial group Atlas Copco has been operating in Wuxi for 32 years and has invested nearly 8 billion yuan ($1.19 billion) in the city. In April, the company's Power Technique Wuxi Campus began operations. Once fully operational, the site is expected to become Atlas Copco's largest Power Technique R&D and manufacturing base outside its headquarters in Belgium.

Atlas Copco Power Technique Wuxi Campus. [Photo/WeChat account: xinwu_wx]

Schneider Electric is also expanding its presence in Wuxi. Its new smart, zero-carbon industrial park integrates technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital twins and aims to establish China's first physical AI and robotics innovation platform for an industrial park.

Meanwhile, Wuxi has evolved from a local manufacturing base for AstraZeneca into an increasingly important link in its global supply chain. The pharmaceutical company is investing $475 million in a new small-molecule drug facility in WND, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2028. Innovative cardiovascular medicines produced there will serve both Chinese and overseas markets.

Behind these major investments is a common calculation. Company executives have pointed to WND's strong industrial ecosystem and business environment as key reasons for expanding its presence there.

VEM's Wuxi factory. [Photo/WeChat account: xinwu_wx]

For global investors today, land and labor are no longer enough. What increasingly matters is access to a complete industrial ecosystem, efficient institutional support and confidence in long-term returns. In that sense, the continued expansion of multinational companies in WND is perhaps the clearest sign of what the district now has to offer.