In December 2012, when The Economist, a London-based magazine, identified Hefei as the world's fastest-growing metropolitan economy, not many thought the capital of East China's Anhui province would be able to maintain its steady pace of growth.

Ten years later, the city's GDP reached 1.2 trillion yuan ($169 billion) and surpassed 1.27 trillion yuan in 2023. Before the province reached that landmark, The Economist noted on Aug 5, 2023, that Hefei is still full of vitality.

As for the province itself, with 16 prefecture-level cities, including Hefei, and a population of some 62 million, its GDP reached 4.71 trillion yuan in 2023, up 5.8 percent year-on-year.

Mohamed Noureldin, an Egyptian post-doctoral researcher who has spent 11 years studying and working at the Hefei-based University of Science and Technology of China, said the changes in Anhui in general and Hefei in particular have been remarkable.

Noureldin pursued both his master's and doctoral degrees at the university. He has seen the province attract several international researchers every year, leading to more innovative advanced products.

"From artificial intelligence to cloud computing, China is now a leader in innovation," he said. "The industrial world is now stepping into a period where the development of innovations and technologies is fundamentally changing the traditional way of doing business. And the manufacturing sector is no exception. To maintain their competitiveness and attract investors, manufacturers need the correct and up-to-date technologies."