Rugao如皋

Rugao, a small county-level city in Jiangsu Province, strategically positioned itself in the hydrogen economy starting in the late 2010s. The local government established a hydrogen fuel cell industrial park and actively recruited companies from larger cities with generous incentives. By 2024, the cluster included fuel cell stack manufacturers, hydrogen storage companies, and fuel cell vehicle assemblers. Rugao demonstrates the "county champion" model where a small city achieves national prominence in a single advanced manufacturing niche.