Nanjingruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Higher education & research
Nanjing University, Southeast University, Hohai University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
One of the densest university clusters in China, with a very large student population and a correspondingly deep research base. It is the single largest reason foreign professionals end up here.
Software & information services
Huawei and ZTE R&D centres, Suning, Nanjing Software Valley tenants
Nanjing Software Valley in Yuhuatai district is one of China's designated software industry bases, and the major telecoms companies run substantial research operations here rather than only in Shenzhen.
Petrochemicals & materials
Sinopec Jinling Petrochemical, BASF joint ventures, Nanjing Chemical Industry Park
The Yangtze riverfront north-east of the city holds one of China's largest petrochemical complexes, a substantial employer of process and safety engineers.
Automotive & new energy
Nanjing Iveco, LG Chem battery operations, BYD and Xpeng supply chain
Jiangning district in the south is a significant automotive and battery manufacturing base, and the electric vehicle supply chain here has expanded considerably.
Pharmaceuticals & biotech
Simcere Pharmaceutical, Nanjing Biomedical Valley tenants
A growing life sciences cluster anchored by the medical faculties of the local universities and by domestic pharmaceutical companies headquartered in the city.
Provincial government & professional services
Jiangsu provincial administration, the major Chinese law and accountancy firms
Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu, China's second-largest provincial economy, which supports a substantial administrative and professional services sector.
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