Shenzhen has published three major action plans in a single day as it pursues global leadership in emerging fields, such as artificial intelligence (AI), smart computing capacity, and the robotics industry. Shenzhen's push comes as other Chinese cities are emerging as rival centers of innovation – most notably 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 CNY1 trillion 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 CNY100 billion industry in the city, and ensuring it hosts at least 10 robotics companies valued at over CNY10 billion and 20 companies with annual revenues exceeding CNY1 billion. 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 number 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 the escalating U.S.-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 (BRI). “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. 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 (R&D) and international expansion plans. Meng Fanli, Shenzhen Communist Party Secretary, encouraged AI and robotics companies to use Shenzhen as a testing ground for new technologies and products. Shenzhen is currently home to more than 2,600 AI companies, including six unicorns – start-ups valued at over USD1 billion. The city also boasts 34 listed robotics firms, nine of which are unicorns, the South China Morning Post reports.
