As the 15th Five-Year Plan period gets underway, Hainan is positioning the information and software services industry as a cornerstone of its "digital empowerment" growth strategy. The sector now accounts for nearly half of the province's core digital economy industry scale as of 2025, according to statements made at a provincial press conference on September 1st.
At the briefing hosted by the Hainan Provincial Information Office, Shen Jun, a second-level inspector from the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, outlined the roadmap for the coming years. The strategy will adhere to the overarching principles of "optimizing structure, expanding scale, and broadening development tracks" to drive the sector forward.
In a push to expand scale, Hainan plans to strengthen its software and IT services by collaborating with local cities and industrial parks. The goal is to support existing enterprises in growing their operations within the province in line with the "five-direction empowerment" strategy, while simultaneously nurturing locally-based software firms. This effort is designed to foster digital applications tailored to Hainan's unique industries, including commercial aerospace, low-altitude economy, marine monitoring and exploration, scientific research and breeding, tropical agriculture, and cultural tourism.
Simultaneously, the province aims to scale up internet-related services. This includes enriching the online content ecosystem by attracting top-tier global game developers, vigorously developing online gaming and animation industries, and encouraging domestic and international internet platform companies to establish regional or functional headquarters in Hainan.
On the structural optimization front, Hainan will lean on application scenarios to deepen industrial integration. Shen Jun emphasized that the province will implement a comprehensive "AI+" initiative, driven by the demands of distinctive local scenarios. Key actions involve cultivating industry-specific large-model applications, particularly in fields like commercial aerospace, deep-sea technology, and tropical seed breeding, creating a host of exemplary "AI+" use cases to enable digital empowerment across various sectors. Additionally, there will be a focus on strengthening data service capabilities by attracting enterprises specializing in data processing, algorithm development, system integration, and intelligent operations to establish a presence in Hainan.
For broadening development tracks, Hainan is leveraging the institutional advantages of its free trade port to ensure secure and orderly data flows, thereby pioneering new avenues for cross-border data services. Shen Jun stressed the urgency of accelerating the construction of cross-border data infrastructure, including the completion and operationalization of international submarine cables and international communication gateway hubs. The province will also continuously improve its integrated computing platform that combines computational power, algorithms, and data, aiming to build a coordinated "cloud-edge-device" ecosystem as a solid foundation for these ventures.
Furthermore, Hainan intends to fast-track the global expansion of digital content, using "game exports" as a key entry point. Plans include promoting innovation in "AIGC plus digital content" and cultivating a full chain of service providers. The province also aims to develop novel international data services by exploring the establishment of digital processing and trade zones targeting the EU and ASEAN markets, offering cross-border data services, and fostering collaborative data partnerships. Concurrently, Hainan will accelerate the pilot construction of the Haikou National Data Labeling Base, focusing on undertaking high-quality data set labeling and processing services from both domestic and international clients.