The Department of Industrial Economics at Nanjing University was established in 2007. It develops the discipline of industrial economics drawing on the two first-level discipline doctoral programs in Theoretical Economics and Applied Economics, as well as the Yangtze River Delta Economic and Social Development Research Center (a Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences under the Ministry of Education) and the Yangtze River Industrial Economics Research Institute (a national key cultivation high-end think tank). The department aims to cultivate interdisciplinary talents who possess both a solid grounding in economic theory and practical skills, laying a strong theoretical and practical foundation for students' career development and further academic study, inspiring their enthusiasm for industry and financial analysis, and serving the overall needs of national economic construction.

The department currently has 16 full-time faculty members, including 10 faculty members qualified to supervise doctoral students, 1 Changjiang Scholars Distinguished Professor appointed by the Ministry of Education, 1 member of the Economics Department of the Social Sciences Committee of the Ministry of Education, 4 participants in the Ministry of Education’s Cross-Century and New Century Excellent Talents Support Program, 5 participants in Jiangsu Provincial “333 High-Level Talent Training Project”, 3 candidates for Young and Middle-Aged Academic Leaders and Young Backbone Teachers of Nanjing University, 1 recipient of the National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award and 1 corresponding supervisor, and 1 Humboldt Fellow.

Leveraging the Yangtze River Industrial Economics Research Institute (a national key cultivation high-end think tank), the Yangtze River Delta Economic and Social Development Research Center (a Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences under the Ministry of Education), the Nanjing University National Cultural Industries Research Center (under the Ministry of Culture), and the Nanjing University Real Estate Research Center, the department concentrates on the economic development of the nation and the Yangtze River Delta region, refines its disciplinary focus, and provides decision-making consultation services. These services include research on: (1) industrial planning and industrial policy; (2) industrial organization and corporate strategy; (3) technological innovation and industrial investment; (4) cultural industries and brand value; (5) spatial econometrics and model forecasting; (6) environmental regulation and corporate social responsibility; (7) digital economy and platform economy; and (8) urban economy and real estate finance.