The world has already started to wake up and take notice of the innovation flowing out of China from tech manufacturing megacities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou, cosmopolitan Shanghai, and Beijing, where the Zhongguancun district has been dubbed China’s Silicon Valley.

But what about those emerging Chinese powerhouses you might not have heard of? With well over a hundred urban centres of more than one million people, it’s hard to predict where the next hotbed of innovation will gain in China. But here are nine cities worth watching.

Zhengzhou: population 10.1 million

The capital city of Henan province produces around half the world’s iPhones at its Foxconn production lines in the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone (ZAEZ). This landmark development is China’s first special economic zone centred on an airport, allowing for seamless international logistics. The ZAEZ is already five times the size of Manhattan and responsible for more than half the trade revenue of the province. The city of Zhengzhou is also a leading automotive centre with companies like Tiamaes creating transport solutions, from electric vehicle supercharging stations to smart payment systems.

Changsha: population 7.4 million