Shanghai is well on its way to becoming an innovation hub with global influence, according to the latest reports.

In the Nature Index global science city 2020 rankings, Shanghai is placed fifth, up three places compared to 2016.

The rankings by Nature Index, a supplement of the Science journal, were based on articles published in 82 top natural sciences journals. Concentration of talent, funding, research institutions and other resources were also important factors, said David Swinbanks, Nature Index’s founder.

In a Shanghai Economy Information Center report, the city ranks 12th, up four places from last year, among global scientific and technological innovation hubs.

Scientific breakthroughs made in Shanghai in recent years include the world’s first cloned monkey by the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Gene editing in monkeys is paving the way for progress in the fight against human disease. It requires a much smaller number of monkeys and produces much more precise results for pre-clinical tests.

Researchers at the Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Sciences also created the first strain of yeast with just one chromosome, a breakthrough intended to support research into human cell aging and genetic mutation.

Other major breakthroughs include the world’s first algae-based Alzheimer’s drug GV-971, China’s first domestically developed narrow-body passenger jet and the world’s most powerful pulse laser.

Besides these “Made in Shanghai” achievements, local scientists have also contributed to the country’s scientific missions such as the Jiaolong deep-sea manned submersible, the Tiangong-2 space lab and the BeiDou navigation satellite system.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), Shanghai has kept its spending on research and development to at least 3.5 percent of gross domestic product. In 2018 and 2019 spending hit 4 percent.

Last year, the city invested over 1.5 trillion yuan (US$224 billion) in research and development, up 62.9 percent compared with 2015.

A cluster of top scientific research institutions has formed in Shanghai.

They include the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, named after the Chinese-American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1957. It focuses on key scientific puzzles in the fields of particle and nuclear physics, astronomy and astrophysics, and quantum basic science.

They also include the Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, the Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Lab. Many of them are located in the city’s innovation highland of Zhangjiang in the Pudong New Area.

Zhangjiang is also home to a cluster of science infrastructure facilities. Among them are the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility and the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility.

“Three years ago, we managed to deliver peak power of 10.3 petawatts, becoming the leader in the world,” said the laser facility’s Yu Lianghong. “In the future, competition in science and technology will rely on competition in science facilities. We should make full use of what we have to make contributions to the country’s innovation.”

Integrated circuits, biomedicine and artificial intelligence have been identified as three key industries to be developed during the process of building Shanghai into a scientific and technological innovation center with global influence.

New medicines and high-end medical devices have been created in Shanghai in recent years, raising hope for people with tumors, cardiovascular disease and other serious conditions. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the city has led two and taken part in five of the country’s major missions in the anti-virus fight covering development of medicines, vaccines and testing devices.

The West Bund of Xuhui District is an emerging artificial intelligence hub in the city. It has an ambitious plan to build an “Intelligence Valley,” and one highlight is the AI Tower.

Currently, 14 of the country’s major science facilities have been built or are being built in Shanghai, making the city a leader in the country, officials said.