“Flying cars” take to the skies, revealing limitless potential for future industries; traditional industries rejuvenate by “going to the cloud”; in laboratories, cutting-edge technologies are accelerating their conversion; AI accelerates the empowerment of large-scale model applications... In every vibrant corner of southern Guangdong, there is a surging momentum for high-quality development.
Embracing “innovation,” enhancing “quality,” and winning the future. Guangdong is advancing the construction of a modern industrial system, fostering a fertile ground for new productive forces, and injecting strong momentum into the Guangdong practice of Chinese-style modernization.
The high-quality development survey tour visits enterprises like Yunzhou Intelligence. The picture shows an unmanned boat sailing on the sea.
Surging Vitality
Actively Seizing New Opportunities
New energy vehicles driving towards the global market, “cloud-connected” equipment in factories, vivid images on screens... Along with the development of low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, and other industries, new productive forces are rapidly emerging in Guangdong, bursting with dynamic vitality.
Such vitality stems from technological breakthroughs.
New productive forces are not driven by ordinary technological innovation; they particularly require original and disruptive technological innovation to solve key technical problems from the source and foundational levels.
At the Robotics Institute of the Southern University of Science and Technology, a robot named the Metamorphic Structure Evolution Robot dances to music, then transforms into various shapes such as a puppy, spider, and crab. When researchers turn it over, the robot can use the reconfigurability of its metamorphic legged robot body to get back up based on the terrain and road conditions.
This is the world’s first metamorphic legged robot capable of various imitative forms. Dai Jiansheng, the director of the Robotics Institute at Southern University of Science and Technology, introduced that it possesses dual intelligence in both algorithms and structure, making it a modern metamorphic robot. It overcomes numerous challenges in the structure, functionality, and intelligence of existing robots, pioneering disruptive technology for intelligent transformation.
“We are currently collaborating with a local research institute, and the first unmanned feeding water robot has already taken shape,” revealed Tang Zili, Director of the Ocean Development Department at Zhuhai Yunzhou Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. This unmanned ship, with a displacement of about 30 tons, integrates transportation, storage, and feeding functional units into the company’s advanced water robot platform. It uses technologies such as automatic navigation and intelligent control to automatically transport materials to the feeding spray gun, achieving automated feeding.
Such vitality stems from innovation in elements.
A “cloud” is reshaping Guangdong's traditional textile industry. Li Yaping, co-founder and senior vice president of Zhijing Technology Company, introduced that by utilizing big data and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the company has developed multiple smart cloud platforms covering the entire textile and apparel industry chain, from fabric production and procurement to clothing design and sales. “Previously, designing a piece of clothing took several months, but now it only takes two minutes.”
Such vitality also stems from seizing new opportunities.
As the propellers buzzed, the unmanned “air taxi” gracefully took off... “This year, EHang Intelligent has entered a new phase of development,” said Wang Zhao, Co-Chief Operating Officer of EHang Intelligent Equipment (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. He noted that passenger-carrying eVTOLs can be used in a variety of scenarios, including cultural tourism, transportation, and emergency situations.
“This year, we plan to launch ‘air taxis’ in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hefei, and other cities first, creating ‘model cities’ for the low-altitude economy. We believe that after a few years of development, ‘air taxis’ will be flying in more and more cities,” Wang Zhao said.
Looking towards the future, Guangdong has released five major action plans, proactively laying out future industries such as 6G, quantum technology, life sciences, and humanoid robots, and establishing national future industry pilot zones.
In Guangdong, the significant potential unleashed by new productive forces in industries is remarkable.
Embracing the New, Cherishing the Old
Upgrading Traditional Industries
In Guangdong, new productive forces arise not only from breakthroughs in the “new” but also from the accumulation of the “old.” Guangdong, embracing the new without discarding the old, is leveraging digital empowerment, intelligent enhancement, and high-end leadership to cultivate traditional industries as the main battlefield for developing new productive forces.
Jinli Town in Gaoyao District, Zhaoqing City, is renowned as the “Hometown of Small Hardware in China.” Walking through the streets, one can see numerous hardware shops of all sizes. Huang Zhanhao, the deputy general manager of Guangdong Xinyongchang Hardware Technology Co., Ltd., is a “third-generation factory owner.” Throughout the generational transitions, he has witnessed how digitalization has revitalized the traditional hardware industry.
“Throughout the company’s growth, the number of enterprises in Jinli Town has increased, and the supporting products have become more comprehensive. The industrial chain, from raw materials to processing and assembly, has gradually matured,” said Huang Zhanhao. In recent years, to overcome the development bottlenecks brought about by traditional production and management methods, they have continuously improved their level of intelligent manufacturing by introducing intelligent robotic arms to produce products. They plan to invest 4 million yuan in digital transformation.
Green development is a defining feature of high-quality development, and new productive forces are inherently green productive forces.
Take manufacturing as an example. Currently, Guangdong is building a green manufacturing system with Guangdong characteristics across the entire industrial chain. It has established 302 national-level green factories, 1,070 green design products, 10 green industrial parks, 58 green supply chain management enterprises, and 15 green data centers, ranking first in the country in terms of numbers.
“We have achieved clean production, low-carbon energy, resource utilization of waste, intensive land use, and harmless raw materials in the manufacturing process, striving to create a green intelligent factory,” said Xiong Tao, the digitalization head of Midea Kitchen and Dishwasher.
Xiong Tao explained that an energy control platform has been established within the park to achieve online management of factory energy consumption. Currently, the proportion of green electricity used in the park has reached 20%. “Not only green manufacturing, but the factory also promotes the industry towards ‘green’ comprehensively by focusing on green products, green procurement, green logistics, green recycling, and green services.”
In Guangdong, the effort for industrial upgrading has its lower limit within the factory, while the upper limit aims to move up the value chain to the mid-to-high end.
“Long-term development of enterprises cannot be separated from moving towards high-end. We are deeply integrating with new technologies, new industries, new business forms, and new models through continuous technological research and product innovation. For example, our PCB drill bits can achieve a diameter of 0.01 millimeters, equivalent to 1/70 of a hair’s thickness,” said Wang Xin, Chairman of Guangdong Dtech Technology Co., Ltd. Last year, the company’s drill bit sales accounted for 26.5% of the global market share, making it the largest drill bit supplier in the world.
According to Wei Qijia, Director and Researcher of the Industrial Department of the Prediction Division at the National Development and Reform Commission Information Center, promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries is an important direction for Guangdong’s development of new productive forces. In the process of transforming traditional industries towards high-end, green, and intelligent, many elements of new productive forces are being nurtured. This not only enhances manufacturing capabilities, making products more competitive, but also continuously innovates to boost the improvement of manufacturing capabilities.
Innovation “Code”
Accelerating the Construction of a Full-Process Innovation Chain
According to the “2023 Guangdong New Productive Forces Development Research Report,” Guangdong's development of new productive forces is characterized by early planning, rapid pace, large scale, and a relatively complete system. The province’s ecosystem for new productive forces is taking shape, with the competitiveness of related industrial chains being evident and key industries leading nationally.
In particular, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has a high clustering of new productive forces development, becoming an “accelerator” and “energy storage pool” for Guangdong’s new productive forces.
On one hand, Guangdong is working to eliminate obstacles hindering the development of new productive forces.
Addressing these obstacles requires ensuring the smooth flow of advanced and high-quality production elements towards developing new productive forces.
For Zheng Wenxian, Vice President of Shenzhen Intellifusion Technologies Co., Ltd., starting and innovating a business in Shenzhen means focusing solely on showcasing the company’s capabilities. “Shenzhen is the most suitable city in China for overseas returnees to start businesses. When we applied for government-related entrepreneurship projects, it took just over a month from application to project approval.”
On the other hand, Guangdong is also facilitating a positive cycle in education, technology, talent, and finance.
Currently, Guangdong is accelerating the construction of a full-process innovation chain encompassing “basic research + technological breakthroughs + result transformation + technological finance + talent support.” This unique innovation “code” allows technology and industry to form a synergy, becoming a crucial part of Guangdong's innovation capacity.
The Foshan Industrial Technology Research Institute of the Guangdong Academy of Sciences (referred to as “Foshan Industrial Research Institute”) has provided strong technical support and incubation services for many specialized and innovative enterprises. Foshan iMapCloud Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (“iMapCloud Intelligent”) is one of the beneficiaries of this model.
Under the nurturing of the Foshan Industrial Research Institute, iMapCloud Intelligent quickly emerged with its drone remote sensing network technology, becoming one of the fifth batch of national-level specialized, high-end and innovation-driven enterprises. The company’s General Manager Xu Chaochao stated, “The Foshan Industrial Research Institute not only provided us with a production base but also helped us secure funding for a technological innovation team project, which was crucial for the industrialization of our research results.”
“Faced with future industries and disruptive technologies, Guangdong is further opening up new scenarios and making good use of technical and data resources,” suggested Ding Minglei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology Development Strategy. He advised that Guangdong needs to combine an effective market, innovative entities, and a vibrant business environment to form a “tropical rainforest” style innovation ecosystem, thereby continuously cultivating new productive forces to support high-quality development.
As new tracks, new momentum, and a smooth innovation code collide and integrate in Guangdong, this hot land is bursting with even more vigorous vitality and attraction.
Text by Reporters Xu Ningning, Chen Wei, Shao Yihong Picture by Reporter Zhang Ling
