Wuxi steps up as leader in China's global tech push

She added that the city explores IoT applications in everything from citizen's daily lives to government decisions.

A paragon of China's national industry, the century-old Wuxi No 1 Cotton Mill Textile Group has applied IoT technology to its spinning equipment.

"Before employing IoT technology, 300 workers were needed to produce 10,000 bales of cotton, and now we can do that with just 25 people," said Zhou Yejun, president of the group.

The world's leading city-level internet of vehicles LTE-V2X project began in Wuxi in 2017.

It has an interactive network of real-time information about roads, pedestrians and vehicles. The information is reported through vehicle-carried terminals to the drivers for choosing the best route in case of traffic congestion or hazardous situations.

Eyeing the city's advantages in IoT development, AstraZeneca applies the technology to diagnosis and medical treatment around China and has set up an innovation center in Wuxi.

The center is conducting a capsule endoscopy project, which can improve community hospital's service, according to Xu Jing, vice-president of AstraZeneca China.

Wuxi takes innovation and talent as the driving force for future IoT development.

The city upgraded its Taihu Lake Talent Plan, inviting elite workers to help boost its modern industry.

So far, Wuxi has welcomed some 180,000 IoT practitioners, including 13,000 high-level professionals and 1,300 overseas returnees.