Guangzhou has introduced a series of measures to foster the high-quality development of its embodied artificial intelligence (embodied AI) robotics industry. The initiative aligns with municipal government plans to accelerate future industries, guided by principles of innovation-driven growth, integration of whole machines and components, scenario-based traction, and ecosystem cultivation. The measures span innovation and R&D, training and testing, enterprise growth, scenario development, competitions, financial support, pilot demonstrations, and market expansion.

The goal is to achieve over 15 major scientific and technological breakthroughs in embodied AI and robotics by 2029, secure over 40 provincial or national-level application demonstration scenarios, attract around 10 whole-machine manufacturing enterprises, and have approximately 2 companies rank within the domestic "first tier." The specific measures are outlined below.

Backing Core Technology R&D

The initiative supports enterprises in strengthening the core components of embodied AI robots: the "intelligent brain" (high-level cognition and decision-making), the "precise cerebellum" (real-time motion and fine control), the "flexible limbs" (advanced actuation and reliable body), and the "operating system" (full-stack autonomy and system integration). It encourages tackling key technical challenges through models like "enterprises posing problems, science providing solutions," implementing a series of key R&D projects.

Support is also provided for entities, led by enterprises, to establish manufacturing innovation centers and corporate technology centers. The plan leverages the strengths of institutions like the Greater Bay Area National Technology Innovation Center, the National University Regional Technology Transfer Center (Greater Bay Area), and universities such as Sun Yat-sen University, South China University of Technology, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) to drive innovation and facilitate the commercialization of research outcomes.

Supporting Product Training and Testing

The city will support the construction of embodied AI training grounds, encouraging districts to develop such facilities based on local conditions, with eligible projects receiving support according to regulations. Standards and norms for embodied AI data collection will be improved to create large-scale, high-quality, multi-scenario datasets, supporting enterprises in data acquisition and building open-source ecosystems.

Intelligent computing power will be strengthened, encouraging market-led infrastructure development for intelligent computing and fostering a number of high-performance, high-precision, advanced, low-latency intelligent computing projects. Support will be given to enterprises, universities, and relevant institutions to establish public service platforms for testing, certification, and pilot-scale verification of embodied AI robots, with encouragement to develop national-level platforms.

Promoting Enterprise Growth and Expansion

The measures support traditional robotics companies in transitioning to R&D and production of embodied AI robots. They also encourage whole-machine and key component manufacturers to enhance their mass-production capabilities, with support provided for automated production line construction according to relevant regulations.

The plan aims to cultivate and strengthen a group of companies specializing in model development, secondary development, system integration, leasing, and sales. It emphasizes planning and reserving key embodied AI robotics projects, encouraging enterprises to seek relevant higher-level funding.

A tiered enterprise cultivation database will be established, improving the gradient nurturing mechanism to help small and micro-enterprises scale up, bolster mid-sized "backbone" firms, and enable leading enterprises to "navigate" the industry. The goal is to create a group of specialized, sophisticated, distinctive, and innovative enterprises, "little giant" firms, single-product champions, and "chain leader" companies.

Cultivating Open Application Scenarios

Focusing on public services, industrial manufacturing, specialized operations, elderly care, and other fields, the initiative encourages manufacturing firms, industrial parks, public service providers, and commercial venues to open up or co-create application scenarios. It also promotes integrating robotic products into local cultural and sports activities with distinctive local characteristics.

Leveraging the city's geographical and landmark advantages, the plan seeks to create characteristic demonstration scenarios for an all-space intelligent system. It supports collaboration between enterprises and scenario providers to build application scenarios for embodied AI robots. Annually, 10 scenarios or application projects with high promotional value and significant demonstration effect will be selected, with each project receiving support of up to 1 million yuan.

The policy supports the first purchase and use of robotic products, exploring flexible procurement methods like robot leasing and service outsourcing. It encourages Party and government organs, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises to procure and apply embodied AI robotic products in accordance with relevant regulations.

Building a Competition and Event Brand

Following the principle of "government guidance, enterprise operation, market participation, and social co-construction," the city aims to build the "Haixinsha Cup" embodied AI robotics challenge series brand. It will launch a series of sub-competitions in areas like industrial manufacturing, sports, and security inspection/patrol, utilizing fiscal funds to leverage broader investment.

The initiative invites various entities including enterprises and universities to "jointly organize competitions," providing certain fiscal support for sub-competitions in initial stages requiring financial guidance. It aims to attract global high-quality enterprises, teams, and innovative talent to "compete, implement projects, and promote the industry," offering prizes, venture capital, credit, and various service guarantees as per regulations.

Continuously Strengthening Financial Support

Embodied AI will be incorporated into the investment and industry cultivation directions of municipal funds such as the Science and Technology Innovation Fund, Industrial Development Fund, and Artificial Intelligence Industry Fund. The plan aims to leverage government guidance funds at all levels and social capital to jointly establish a batch of sub-funds focused on embodied AI robotics, emphasizing early-stage, small-scale, and hard-tech investments.

It will explore methods like "invest first, convert to equity later" to support the transformation of innovative achievements and collaborate with universities to establish a tiered fund cluster covering the entire lifecycle of technology transfer and tech enterprise growth.

The policy guides banks, insurance companies, and related institutions to increase support through loan interest subsidies and risk compensation for the embodied AI robotics sector. It promotes the application and adoption of insurance products like embodied AI robot body damage insurance and third-party liability insurance.

Launching a Batch of Pilot Demonstrations

Support will be provided for relevant entities to undertake or participate in higher-level reform, innovation, and pilot demonstration tasks in the embodied AI robotics field. The city will promote exploration of a batch of "small incision" reforms in areas like fault-tolerant exemption, regulatory sandboxes, and data management.

Administrative districts with suitable conditions are encouraged to leverage their own advantages to build approximately 2 embodied AI robotics R&D, manufacturing, and application demonstration zones (bases), with coordinated support from the city and districts based on actual circumstances.

The plan involves developing key parks like the Tianhe Guangtang Science and Innovation City Embodied AI Industrial Park and the Panyu Embodied Manufacturing Headquarters Base, strengthening service guarantees for land use and factory buildings, and vigorously clustering whole-machine and upstream/downstream high-quality enterprises.

Relying on talent programs like "Gathering Talents in Guangzhou," the city will explore models such as key enterprise recommendations and "assessment through competition" to provide targeted support for talent in the embodied AI field to innovate and start businesses in Guangzhou.

Assisting Enterprises in Market Expansion

The initiative aims to deepen integration between whole-machine and component enterprises in the embodied AI robotics industry. It will organize supply-demand matching activities for the industrial chain and regularly collect and publish demand lists and solutions.

Support is offered for national industry associations, societies, alliances, and other organizations to establish branches in Guangzhou focused on the embodied AI robotics sector and to host industry conferences.

Leveraging the brand advantages of exhibition series like the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) and the China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair, the city encourages hosting high-level embodied AI robotics exhibitions to create influential platforms for cooperation, exchange, and display.

The policy supports the development of new business formats like robot brand stores, robot restaurants, and robot retail stores, exploring the creation of a full-lifecycle service system for embodied AI robots.

This policy takes effect on July 2, 2026, and is valid until July 1, 2029. The Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau will lead its organization and implementation, with relevant municipal departments and district governments responsible for specific implementation according to their duties. If an entity qualifies for multiple municipal support policies, the principle of "selecting the most favorable, highest, and non-duplicative" support applies. In case of conflict with national, provincial, or municipal laws, regulations, rules, or the latest requirements, the latter shall prevail.