In recent years, the utilization of foreign capital in Shanghai has formed a new pattern of a service economy, headquarters economy and research and development economy. The agglomeration effect of innovation resource factors brought by foreign capital has been further enhanced in the city.

Last year, 5,751 foreign direct investment enterprises were established in Shanghai, with the contract value reaching $51.65 billion and the actual value reaching $20.23 billion.

The tertiary industry accounted for 94.5 percent of the city's actual foreign investment. By the end of 2020, 189 countries and regions had invested in Shanghai and there were 771 regional headquarters of multinational corporations and 481 foreign-funded R&D centers.