By Ding Yining
Jing'an District plans to step up efforts in building a service ecosystem targeting various local businesses going global.
At the recently concluded "Global Service Providers Conference," the district presented accreditation to the sixth batch of global service provider companies, covering fields such as law, consulting and human resources, highlighting the cluster effect of the industry in the area.
One-third of the companies included in the ranking by the GaWC, or the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, have already located their businesses in Jing'an, and the headquarters operations of global service providers in Jing'an are gradually upgrading their capabilities.
Jing'an introduced the "Global Service Provider" program to offer a platform that coordinates multiple high-level professional service institutions in the region, including KPMG, providing 60 services across 12 major areas, such as finance and taxation, law and ESG.
The 2026 Global Service Providers Conference, organized by the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission and Jing'an District People's Government, was held in Jing'an in late January under the theme "Forge Synergies for Shared Growth, Connect Businesses for a Shared Future" to further promote this program.
By the end of 2025, the program's list of service providers had included 115 specialized international service providers.
Meeting challenges
Over the past three years, the business revenue of the professional service industry in Jing'an has increased from 148.236 billion yuan (US$21.447 billion) to 174.861 billion yuan, with a compound growth rate of 8.6 percent, accounting for about 20 percent of the total revenue among six major industries in Jing'an.
Jing'an has been focusing on major challenges faced by Chinese businesses going global, such as corporate overseas policy consultation and procedural guidance. It has set up the first consultation service point for overseas investment project approvals in the downtown area, providing services such as face-to-face policy interpretation and guidance on documentation.
Looking ahead, the district plans to further leverage the "Global Service Provider" program to accelerate the development of a high-end professional services cluster with global influence and recognition.
To achieve this goal, several initiatives have been put forward: encouraging the service providers to form a cluster while at the same time expanding the scale and improving the quality, efficiency and capacity of the commercial leasing and business services industry.
The district also plans to reduce the cost and barriers for enterprises to access high-quality professional business services, gradually building a service ecosystem driven by demands and empowered by policy and pilot rules.
It will also join hands with the Hongqiao Overseas Development Service Center to jointly promote targeted services for local businesses seeking overseas expansions.
In response to the diverse needs of enterprises during overseas expansion, it has integrated more than 50 top international professional service organizations to create a customized "service package." Ten overseas service points in key global markets were set up, providing full-cycle support for enterprises going abroad and safeguarding their overseas development.
A series of seminars and training sessions were held through "New Go-Global Academy," including training courses covering topics such as overseas compliance, market expansion and cross-cultural communication.
A joint "Global Leadership Accelerator Camp" was held in collaboration with the China Europe International Business School. Hundreds of professionals for international business expansion have received training through these initiatives, laying a solid foundation for companies going global.
The Yangtze River Delta region has deepened regional collaboration. A new collaborative model has come into shape that brought together the manufacturing base in the Yangtze River Delta region, the professional service sector in Shanghai and the global market.
Professional service institutions are encouraged to extend their services to the Yangtze River Delta region and offer guidance and services not only to enterprises in Shanghai but also to those in neighboring areas. To date, more than 700 enterprises in the region have benefited from such services during their go-global process, helping enhance their overall competitiveness. (Source: Shanghai Daily)
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