The Modern Industrial Zone and Panzhuang Industrial Zone were both parts of Tianjin Future Science and Technology City. They covered a planned area of 16.56 square kilometers and 15.53 square kilometers respectively. They were approved as Tianjin municipal demonstration parks in 2009, and were included in the planning of Tianjin Future Science and Technology City in 2014 as important industrial development zones. In March 2018, the two industrial zones were merged, and in August 2019 the expansion zone of the Modern Industrial Zone was included, creating a planned area of 28.6 square kilometers.
The Modern Development Zone is located 15 kilometers northeast of the central urban area of Tianjin, and is in the geometric center of the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan urban agglomeration. Lying within the one-hour economic circle together with the Tianjin urban area, Binhai New Area, Tangshan urban area, the Caofeidian industrial zone, and Beijing, the zone is 15 kilometers from Tianjin Binhai International Airport, 20 kilometers from Tianjin Railway Station, and 35 kilometers from Tianjin Port. It has two highway entrances that can reach the Tianjin-Ninghe Expressway, Beijing-Tianjin Expressway, and Jishan Expressway (Ninghe-Tianjin Expressway), and that transfer to the Tianjin-Jinzhou Expressway, the Tanggu-Chengde Expressway, Xiwaihuan (West Outer Ring) Expressway, the Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway, and the Binhai New Area-Baoning Expressway.
Adjacent to Beichen district, Dongli district, the Airport Economic Zone and Binhai New Area, the Modern Development Zone has established a linkage with surrounding industrial parks. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), with the formation of the "Jincheng" and "Bincheng" twin city development pattern, Tianjin Future Science and Technology City, which is close to the core of the twin city, will boast a strong development potential.
Focused on the industries of artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, biomedicine, auto parts, new energy and new materials, and aerospace, the Modern Development Zone houses more than 2,000 registered enterprises, including 256 physical enterprises. It has already developed such enterprises in auto parts, intelligent manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and new energy and new materials.
With the launch of the project of the Civil Aviation University of China in the expansion area and the signing of the Ninghe aviation innovation and entrepreneurship industrial park project, the intelligent manufacturing and aerospace industries will be improved in the development zone.
In addition, the development zone has also promoted an automobile-related industrial agglomeration based on the surrounding FAW-Volkswagen North China vehicle base, and established interconnected development with the aerospace and biomedical industries in the Airport Economic Zone.
The development zone is equipped with roads, water supply, electricity, drainage, heat, telecommunications, gas and land leveling capacity. The building of administrative platforms for administrative licensing and investment service advances and provision of "one-stop" services has been enhanced significantly. Apartments for blue-collar workers and senior professionals are available with complete living facilities, as are comprehensive real estate projects that integrate the functions of living, leisure and entertainment. In addition, the development zone has built a number of industrial parks, including the Tianning Industrial Park, Cross-Strait Bio-Industrial Park, Xinhua Industrial Park, Jiahe Industrial Park, and Zhongrong Times, which help boost the zone’s high-quality development.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with the advantages of ecological environment, location and the policies of Tianjin Future Science and Technology City, the development zone will integrate into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development strategy and stick to the development of the manufacturing industry. It will also promote emerging industries such as intelligent manufacturing, biomedicine, and new energy and new materials driven by the auto parts and aviation industries. More efforts will be made to accelerate the transformation and upgrading of existing traditional industries, and to develop the zone as a high-quality development pioneer in Ninghe district by improving public services and building Tiainjin Future Science and Technology City.