Dongguan's Binhaiwan Bay Area ushers in significant provincial policies to boost AI Development
On April 23, 2025, the Several Measures to Support the High-Quality Development of the Artificial Intelligence Industry in Dongguan's Binhaiwan Bay Area (hereinafter referred to as “these Measures”) was officially released at the Dongguan Artificial Intelligence Industry High-Quality Development Conference and Binhaiwan Bay Area AI Policy Release Event. These Measures outline comprehensive supports across several key areas, including advancing breakthroughs in core technologies, promoting product innovation and industrial development, accelerating intelligent transformation across industries, improving intelligent infrastructure systems, strengthening industrial resource and service support, enhancing ethical research and institutional innovation, fostering multi-party exchange and collaboration platforms. These initiatives aim to vigorously support the growth of artificial intelligence in Dongguan's Binhaiwan Bay Area.
On-site reporters learned that these landmark policies mark the first specialized initiative formulated by the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province specifically for Binhaiwan Bay Area. These Measures explicitly support Binhaiwan Bay Area in building as Guangdong’s Innovation and Development Pilot Zone in AI field, a National Demonstration Zone for AI application empowerment, an world-class smart terminal industrial cluster with global influence and competitiveness, thereby bolstering Guangdong’s leadership in general-purpose AI innovation and accelerating AI empowerment across industries.
To advance breakthroughs in core technologies and accelerate the deployment of next-generation intelligent agent technologies and products
These Measures focus on the breakthroughs of cutting-edge technologies in key areas such as large-model intelligent agent applications, computing architectures, embodied intelligence, smart sensing, and integrated air-ground computing power and algorithms. Enterprises are encouraged to innovate in framework optimization of large multimodal models, edge/end-device large-model training and deployment, and multi-agent collaboration, aiming to establish a complete self-developed large-model technology ecosystem.
In deepening applied technological innovation, these Measures support partnerships between enterprises and AI research institutions to form AI innovation consortia and focused on smart terminals and intelligent manufacturing. They also promote the practical implementation of vertical industry large-model services, scenario-based model employment and collaboration, intelligent agent frameworks, and high-value dataset development.
To drive product innovation and industrial development, these Measures highlight the role of leading enterprises and supply chain anchors in advancing breakthroughs in foundational software, critical components (e.g., chips, displays, and core systems), all-scenario integration, and end-cloud synergy technologies. These Measures support relevant enterprises in developing innovative AI terminals and high-end devices, AI smartphones and wearables based on native AI operating system, AI computers, and AI computers, home appliances, medical rehabilitation devices, and educational tools based on exclusive models.
In strengthening smart terminal industrial clusters, the policy focuses on fostering specialized SMEs, cultivating industry leaders, and developing single-product champions across the entire industrial chain—from upstream software and hardware supply to midstream terminal manufacturing and downstream marketing and services. With the support of these Measures, the Binhaiwan Bay Area will establish end-device large-model open-source communities, deploy a number of development carriers for intelligent terminals, build AI+smart terminal application bases, and create world-class AI terminal industrial clusters through R&D, pilot testing, production, marketing and service, and operations.
In accelerating the deployment of next-generation intelligent agent technologies and products, these Measures support Binhaiwan Bay Area in achieving technical breakthroughs of large-model-based agents in intelligent agent workflows, multi-agent collaboration, and end-device agents. Leading enterprises are encouraged to pioneer applications of next-gen agents in R&D, manufacturing, marketing and service, and operation. Developers are supported in creating, based on their industries and application scenarios, customized next-gen agents for industry-specific decision-making, tool integration, long-term memory systems, and task execution frameworks. These Measures will strengthen the systematic planning of AI standardization work, and support the formulation of standards for the software and hardware of intelligent agents and terminals.
In building a full-stack independent and controllable industrial ecosystem, these Measures call for establishing hardware-software adaptation centers and developing full-stack domestically controlled AI solutions. Collaboration among enterprises, research institutions, and individual developers will be enhanced to create the full-stack independent and controllable industrial ecosystem spanning from infrastructure to applications. Support will be giving to Binhaiwan Bay Area for hosting technical training, supply-demand matchmaking events, and developer competitions to foster innovation.
To create application demonstrations for “AI + Smart Living and Smart Governance”
In accelerating intelligent transformation across industries, these Measures specify the development of “AI + Smart Manufacturing” application demonstrations. The work includes driving the intelligent upgrade of industrial equipment industries and fostering upstream and downstream hardware-software agglomerations, while accelerating the widespread adoption of AI in CNC machine tools, laser and additive manufacturing, industrial robots, intelligent sensing and control equipment, and intelligent inspection and assembly equipment. Support will be provided for building AI application innovation service platforms, promoting the development and application of AI intelligent agents in key enterprises within advanced equipment manufacturing and electronics information industries, and accelerating the intelligent transformation of traditional manufacturing across R&D design, production, quality inspection, and supply chain management. These Measures also endorse projects such as the industrial quality inspection AI platform and industrial edge-end AI model adaptation and pilot verification platforms in Binhaiwan Bay Area, aiming to build AI intelligent agents capable of autonomously scheduling expert sub-models, and provide cost-effective AI application solutions for advanced manufacturing enterprises.
In creating “AI + Smart Living” application demonstrations, provincial authorities support the Binhaiwan Bay Area in expanding AI applications across community services, healthcare, education, and cultural tourism. Efforts will focus on developing scalable, commercially viable use cases and demonstration applications, as well as establishing centralized AI experience centers for immersive interaction. Large models and intelligent systems will be leveraged to enhance precision in analyzing consumer habits, sensory experiences, and value-driven demand fulfillment.
For “AI + Smart Governance” demonstrations, provincial departments will back the Binhaiwan Bay Area in advancing AI innovations for public safety, urban planning, traffic management, market regulation, and smart energy. The integration of AI with urban governance will be deepened, with encouragement for unmanned technologies and scenarios such as autonomous vehicles, unmanned vessels, and drones.
To improve the intelligent foundational elements system
These Measures provide guidance on enhancing the intelligent foundational elements system, strengthening industrial resource services, advancing ethical research and institutional innovation, and fostering exchange and collaboration platforms to empower the AI development of Binhaiwan Bay Area.
To improve the intelligent foundational elements system, the policy focuses on accelerating the establishment of an AI computing power scheduling platform, building a collaborative resource pool for large and small models, strengthening the development of high-value datasets, promoting the exploitation and utilization of data resources, and creating a comprehensive management and operation platform for key elements.
Computing power is one of the three core elements of AI. In accelerating the construction of an AI computing power scheduling platform, Dongguan will receive support for R&D in high-performance, low-power, and highly adaptable chips, as well as the scaled deployment of edge-end intelligent computing nodes. The policy supports Dongguan in expanding its AI large-model centers, establishing urban edge inference centers, and enhancing cost-effective edge-end computing power tailored for industrial manufacturing. Binhaiwan Bay Area receive support for developing a city-level computing power scheduling platform to enable cross-regional and cross-domain allocation of AI computing tasks, ensuring dynamic distribution, optimized configuration, and efficient utilization of high-quality computing resources.
In building a collaborative resource pool for large and small models, these Measures emphasize introducing high-quality domestic large-model resources and integrating locally-developed models. Priority will be given to establishing vertical industry-specific large and small models in manufacturing sectors such as electronics, smart terminals, advanced equipment, and textiles and apparel, forming a synergistic resource pool for collaborative model operations.
These Measures support Binhaiwan Bay Area in creating comprehensive process and industry knowledge databases, developing an industrial model-data space that integrates “industrial large models + industrial data”, and accelerating the deployment of large models at production lines. Provincial authorities will assist Dongguan in constructing industry-specific large models and scenario-specific application models to meet the needs of sectors like transportation, healthcare, education, and finance across the entire “R&D-production-supply-sales-service” chain, driving the co-deployment of large and small models.
To strengthen high-value dataset development, the policy backs the establishment of a Dongguan node for national industrial data asset registration, building an industrial data asset catalog to provide one-stop services covering data registration, processing, evaluation, accounting, and trading. Provincial departments will support data exchanges in developing and utilizing industrial datasets, encouraging enterprises to pioneer data element “first assessments, first accounting entries, and first open sharing”. Edge-end intelligent computing networks will be expedited, with high-quality datasets tailored for industrial process optimization, quality inspection, and other applications.
In promoting data resource exploitation, leading smart terminal enterprises will receive support in exploring the creation of industry-trusted data spaces based on “core chains + service chain foundations”. Provincial authorities will assist Binhaiwan Bay Area in establishing a public data authorization and operation platform to facilitate the sharing, open access, integration, and utilization of public and industry data in governance, finance, healthcare, and transportation.
To build a comprehensive management and operation platform for key elements, state-owned enterprises will lead the development of a platform offering full lifecycle solutions, from element integration, design, optimization, deployment, and resource management to promotion, tailored for AI application developers. This initiative aims to lower development barriers and enhance efficiency in creating intelligent applications.
Establishing an AI sub-fund cluster with a total scale of no less than 50 Billion yuan
These Measures further support AI development by strengthening industrial resource services, advancing ethical research and institutional innovation, and fostering multi-party exchange and collaboration platforms.
To enhance industrial resource services and talent development, the policy prioritizes the accelerated establishment of an Industrial Software (AI) Excellence Engineer Innovation Center. It encourages universities and enterprises to jointly develop an “X + AI” integrated talent training model, and build a comprehensive AI innovation talent cultivation system. Provincial authorities will support leading enterprises in constructing high-end talent recruitment systems and training bases, incentivizing top AI experts to bring projects to the Binhaiwan Bay Area for commercialization.
In financial services, these Measures propose exploring the creation of an AI Financial Service Center to build a regional financing ecosystem connecting enterprises, industries, markets, and platforms. The policy advocates developing “patient capital” in the AI sector and establishes an AI sub-fund cluster with a total scale of no less than 50 billion yuan under Dongguan’s high-quality development fund system. AI enterprises are encouraged to pursue equity financing in domestic and international multi-tiered capital markets, while venture capital and private equity firms are urged to increase investments in AI startups.
To strengthen ethical research and institutional innovation, these Measures emphasize interdisciplinary studies in technology and humanities, exploring an inclusive and prudent regulatory framework. They promote research into ethical rules for cross-disciplinary AI applications.
In building multi-party exchange and collaboration platforms, these Measures support the high-standard development of Lingxi Island in the core area, piloting innovative cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao to advance AI-focused cooperation in sci-tech R&D and industrial development. Plans include exploring the establishment of an International Joint Innovation Zone and enterprise service and exchange platforms. Provincial departments will back events such as the Guangdong qualifiers and national finals of the China AI Application Skills Competition, the AIGC Innovation Competition under the China Collegiate Computing Contest, and other AI-themed innovation, entrepreneurship, and supply-demand matchmaking activities.
