Shenzhen Unveils Aggressive Push
to Lead in AI, Robotics
Shenzhen
publishes three major action plans in a single day as it pursues global
leadership in emerging fields
·
Propelling
itself to the forefront of the global artificial intelligence and robotics
industries
·
Other
Chinese cities are emerging as rival centres of innovation – most notably the
eastern city of Hangzhou, which has attracted huge attention due to the success
of local AI start-up DeepSeek and humanoid robot
maker Unitree.
·
Market
value of Shenzhen’s AI terminal industry to 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion) by
2026, fostering at least 10 leading AI terminal businesses, and raising the
output of local AI terminal makers to more than 150 million units.
·
Shenzhen’s
ambition to become a global leader in robotics by 2027.
·
Establish
a cluster of more than 1,200 robotics enterprises.
·
Shenzhen,
long regarded as China’s closest answer to Silicon Valley, is already home to a
slew of world-leading tech companies including telecoms giant Huawei
Technologies, electric vehicle maker BYD and drone giant DJI
·
Cost-effective
products for developing countries involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
·
The
city has pledged subsidies to help attract major AI and robotics firms to
invest in the city, as well as support local companies with their research and
development and international expansion plans.
· Shenzhen is currently home to more than 2,600 AI companies, including six unicorns – start-ups valued at over US$1 billion. The city also boasts 34 listed robotics firms, nine of which are unicorns.
The
southern Chinese megacity of Shenzhen has unleashed a barrage of policies aimed
at propelling itself to the forefront of the global artificial
intelligence and robotics industries, as the metropolis seeks to reaffirm its
status as China’s leading technology hub.
In
a rare move, the city rolled out three major action plans in a single day on Monday,
which outline measures to accelerate its adoption of AI, strengthen its smart computing
capacity to support local AI businesses, and establish a global lead in robotics,
respectively.
The
aggressive push from local cadres comes as other Chinese
cities are emerging as rival centres of innovation – most notably the eastern city
of Hangzhou, which has attracted huge attention due to the success of local AI start-up
DeepSeek and humanoid robot maker Unitree.
The
first policy focuses on rapidly growing Shenzhen’s AI terminal industry – a field
that includes a wide range of AI-driven devices, from smartphones to smart-home
products and industrial systems.
It
sets goals of increasing the market value of Shenzhen’s
AI terminal industry to 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion) by 2026, fostering at least
10 leading AI terminal businesses, and raising the output of local AI terminal makers
to more than 150 million units.
Another
plan issued the same day outlines Shenzhen’s ambition to
become a global leader in robotics by 2027.
Local
officials have set targets of making robotics a 100 billion yuan
industry in the city, and ensuring it hosts at least 10 robotics companies valued
at over 10 billion yuan and 20 companies with annual revenues exceeding 1 billion
yuan.
Additionally,
the plan seeks to accelerate the adoption of robotics in a range of different fields
and establish a cluster of more than 1,200 robotics enterprises.
Shenzhen, long regarded as China’s closest
answer to Silicon Valley, is already home to a slew of world-leading tech companies
including telecoms giant Huawei Technologies, electric vehicle maker BYD and drone
giant DJI, and is expected
to play a key role in driving China’s economy amid an escalating US-China tech
war.
The
AI plan outlines efforts to build a comprehensive industrial ecosystem in the city,
with local businesses producing more than 50 different AI-powered devices and integrating
AI across more than 60 fields, including manufacturing, finance and senior care.
It
also aims to ensure the AI terminal industry targets a broad range of markets, such
as by offering cost-effective products for developing countries
involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
“We
will cultivate leading global and domestic AI computer brands and support the transition
of traditional computer foundries to become AI-focused manufacturers,” the plan
states.
Meanwhile,
the robotics plan focuses on strengthening Shenzhen’s position in next-generation
automation by making the city a hub for the production of core robotic components,
AI chips and humanoid robot control systems.
The
third initiative, a smart computing action plan, aims to support Shenzhen’s AI industry
by ensuring local businesses have sufficient available real-time smart computing
power.
To
support this ambitious agenda, the city has pledged subsidies
to help attract major AI and robotics firms to invest in the city, as well as support
local companies with their research and development and international expansion
plans.
On
Monday, Meng Fanli, the city’s Community Party secretary,
encouraged AI and robotics companies to use Shenzhen as a testing ground for new
technologies and products.
Last
month, the city pledged up to 10 million yuan in subsidies for the AI sector – including
vouchers that cover 60 per cent of the cost of training new AI models – and announced
160 billion yuan of investment in “new-type infrastructure”.
The
local government’s annual work report for 2025 also underscores the city’s commitment
to innovation, with two of its 10 major areas of focus dedicated to advancing technology.