Ningxiang City was included in the second batch of innovative counties (county-level cities) according to the announcement by the Department of Science and Technology for Rural Development with a notice period from April 21 to April 27.
 
A total of 93 counties (county-level cities) are shortlisted nationwide, with 28 in central China, after going through local recommendation, formal examination, written review, and expert inquiry.

In recent years, Ningxiang City has been leveraging resources and advantages to develop "technology plus six dominant industries", with the construction of innovative counties (cities) as a guiding principle, and innovation-driven development and rural revitalization as the strategy.

In 2022, Ningxiang City saw an industrial output value of 173.9 billion yuan, an increase of 9.1% compared with last year. Its value-added industrial output expanded by 7.1% year on year, surpassing that of Changsha County, Wangcheng County, and Liuyang City.
 
Furthermore, Ningxiang High-tech Zone, upgraded to a national-level one, was awarded the title of "National Torch Characteristic Industrial Base". The total R&D expenditure of Ningxiang City reached 3.224 billion yuan, up 21.52% compared with the previous year. There were 413 high-tech enterprises and 417 technology-based SMEs.

In the first quarter of 2023, Ningxiang City pumped 1.187 billion yuan into the research and development of major industrial enterprises, an increase of 23.32% year on year. There have been 188 technology-based SMEs filed for the record with year-on-year growth of 254.72%, and 25 newly-registered Changsha technology innovation centers.

The number of registered technology contracts reached 1,999, an increase of 784.51% compared with the same period last year, and the contract turnover reached 1.612 billion yuan, achieving a good start for scientific and technological innovation work.