Guangzhou hosted the 2025 Smart Equipment and Robotics Foreign Investment Salon on November 27, where data revealed that 8,479 new foreign-funded enterprises were established in the city from January to October, marking a 23.6% year-on-year increase.

Wei Min, Director of Guangzhou’s Commerce Bureau, highlighted that the city remains a preferred investment destination for multinational corporations, with over 50,000 foreign-funded enterprises operating locally, including 368 Fortune Global 500 companies. During the first ten months of 2025, Guangzhou utilized $21.285 billion (RMB) in foreign direct investment (FDI), with manufacturing accounting for nearly 40% of the total—a 14.2% increase. Notably, FDI in smart consumer equipment manufacturing surged by 4.9 times, while smart core component manufacturing grew by 2.6 times.

Guangzhou is accelerating the development of its "12218" modern industrial system, prioritizing smart equipment and robotics as emerging pillar industries. From January to October, the output value of the city’s smart equipment and robotics sector exceeded $125 billion (RMB), supported by a complete supply chain spanning key components, robotics systems, and integrated solutions. Global firms like ZEISS and Siemens continue to expand their presence in Guangzhou.

Peng Wei, Chairman of the Guangzhou Foreign-Invested Enterprises Association and former President of ZEISS China, emphasized that integrating into the local industrial chain requires fostering an open, collaborative ecosystem and leveraging AI and big data to swiftly adapt to market shifts.