Over the past two years, Baotou Rare-earth Hi-tech Zone has built "two rare-earth bases" and integrated into the city's "3+5+N" key industrial clusters, contributing to the development of Baotou's new quality productive forces.

The zone has gathered over 100 enterprises across the entire industry chain of rare earth permanent magnets, hydrogen storage, catalysis, and polishing. Eight of the top 10 rare earth magnetic material enterprises in China have established production bases or direct investments in the zone.

Relying on the implementation of leading projects, the zone is promoting high-end and intelligent development within industries and extending downstream industrial chains. The zone has established a comprehensive technology innovation system in the field of rare earths, covering various aspects such as research and development, testing, evaluation, intelligence analysis, standard setting, pilot experiments, and achievement industrialization.

As of now, there are 109 innovation platforms, including research and development centers, key laboratories, new research and development institutions, and academician workstations, in the zone. Over the past three years, 62 scientific and technological achievements have been industrialized. In the first quarter of this year, 65 technology contracts were recognized, accounting for 44 percent of the city's total, and the technology contract turnover was 156 million yuan ($21.73 million), accounting for 49 percent of the city's total.

This year, the zone has undertaken 27 key rare earth industry projects in the city, accounting for 58.7 percent of the total and generating a production value of 12.46 billion yuan in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 21 percent. The zone is using the magnetic material industry as a strong engine to write a new chapter in the high-quality development of the rare earth industry.