Companies have needs, the government responds, the market provides resources, and services are platform-based—in Guangdong, a manufacturing transformation centered on "empowerment" is advancing intensively. Faced with urgent calls for upgrading traditional industries, Guangdong has integrated diverse resources such as AI technology, research platforms, and professional institutions to build a precise empowerment system that connects supply and demand across the entire chain from R&D to sales.
AI Empowerment: Igniting the "Intelligent Engine" of Manufacturing. "From concept to product"—platform-based companies in Guangdong are providing a solid foundation for manufacturing in the AI era. At the beginning of the new year, the 3D printing production line at Jialichuang Group is bustling with activity. "Driven by the continued growth of the smart hardware market, including AI and robotics, orders in the company's electronic and mechanical business segments are increasing rapidly," said Liang Dongbing, head of Jialichuang Group's Zhuhai Intelligent Manufacturing Base. In the Geek Camp at Shenzhen Institute of Technology, 85 young people from around the world developed 18 hardware projects, including AI toys and intelligent tracking robots, in just five days. With Jialichuang's support, a "post-00s" maker realized a fully open-source bipedal humanoid robot "from zero to running" in just 120 days. Leveraging self-developed domestic industrial software and a fully digitalized process foundation, Jialichuang has transformed traditional manufacturing into high-tech manufacturing services, becoming a vivid example of the synergistic development of manufacturing and services.
When AI permeates the entire industrial chain, it not only enhances efficiency but also reconstructs business models. Saivei Times uses data as fuel and AI as the engine to demonstrate the "fantastic journey of a piece of clothing." Chen Wenping, founder of Saivei Times, explained that with a single command to AI, design solutions can be generated in seconds, reducing the cost of a single design from hundreds to just a few yuan. Today, from digital tailoring in production to intelligent bidding in marketing, Saivei Times produces over 2,500 product images and more than 100 videos daily, with the advertising return on investment increasing by over 10%. "AI has become a practical tool penetrating the entire chain of 'R&D, production, sales, and service.' It is not only a tool for cost reduction and efficiency improvement but also a smart brain supporting decision-making," Chen said.
AI not only enhances productivity but also brings profound changes to production relations. To help more enterprises embrace the AI wave, Tencent provides end-to-end AI engineering capabilities. "We hope that enterprises in the Greater Bay Area can not only use AI but also use it effectively with low barriers," said Wang Qi, Vice President of Tencent Cloud. From Jialichuang's hardware infrastructure and Saivei Times' full-chain penetration to Tencent's deep technical support, AI is reshaping every aspect of Guangdong's manufacturing industry.
Technology Empowerment: "Sowing Seeds and Cultivating Forests" for Future Industries. Research platforms are not only bridges connecting technology and industry but also incubators that "sow seeds and cultivate forests" for future industries. At the "Achievement Supermarket" of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), cutting-edge technologies are packaged into standardized "scientific achievement cards" and displayed in a "supermarket-style shelf, card-style display, and scan-code interaction" manner. "We innovatively proposed the 'Achievement Supermarket' concept to build an intuitive and efficient bridge between scientific achievements and market demand," said Wu Xinyu, Deputy Director of SIAT. Over the past five years, SIAT has produced an average of 6.6 patents per day and achieved a contract value of 1.44 million yuan daily, meaning that scientific research results are continuously feeding into the front lines of manufacturing, becoming a "seed bank" for industrial iteration.
In the specialized field of high-end medical devices, technology transfer faces more uncertainties, and professional services are "cultivating the soil and nurturing seedlings" for manufacturing enterprises. "The biggest challenge in successfully bringing a medical device to market is uncertainty," said Ma Qiang, Executive Deputy Director of the Guangdong Institute of New Biomaterials and High-End Medical Devices. To address this, the institute has established a full-chain service system covering R&D empowerment, investment and financing对接, regulatory guidance, inspection and testing, clinical evaluation, and medical-engineering transformation. "We position ourselves as part of the producer services industry, using high-quality professional services to bring certainty and promote the high-quality development of the biomedical industry," Ma added. It is reported that the 3D printed intervertebral fusion cage developed by Huarui Medical, which the institute serves, obtained a Class III medical device registration certificate in just 27 months.
From SIAT's "Achievement Supermarket" to the professional services of the Guangdong Institute of New Biomaterials and High-End Medical Devices, Guangdong's research institutions are shifting from a "laboratory mindset" to an "industrial mindset," proactively engaging the market and connecting with enterprises, using professional services to sow the seeds of innovation in manufacturing and patiently waiting for them to grow into towering trees.
Government Empowerment: Building an Industrial Development Service Ecosystem. Within the manufacturing empowerment system, the role of government departments is undergoing a profound transformation—from mere "policy suppliers" to "ecosystem builders" and "precision service providers." At fixed times each month, a familiar scene unfolds in the meeting room of the New Drug Application Service Center of the Huangpu District Market Supervision Administration in Guangzhou: technical experts from the Drug Evaluation and Inspection Center of the National Medical Products Administration's Greater Bay Area Branch provide "face-to-face" consultation services, while numerous enterprise staff wait outside for their turn. After four years of practice, the service center has established a coordinated service mechanism involving national, provincial, municipal, and district-level drug regulatory authorities. Enterprises can apply monthly to receive "in-person consultations" with authoritative experts for答疑解惑. "We have built a service platform so that enterprises can reach us 24/7," said Lin Shengwen, Director of the service center.
Huang Jingshu, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at Bio-Thera Solutions, stated, "We have many R&D projects, with twenty to thirty currently in clinical stages. Except for one chemical drug, the rest are biological products. Domestic experience with biological products is not extensive, and we often encounter unforeseen issues." "For example, the time window for an IND (Investigational New Drug) application is very tight. Usually, the application must be submitted the week after the final preclinical study data is obtained," Huang explained. Under such time pressure, companies previously could only seek advice from Contract Research Organizations (CROs) or through industry exchanges, but information from these channels was not always fully transparent or reliable. "Since connecting with the service center, their high professionalism provides precise guidance and establishes an effective channel for rapid technical communication with the drug regulatory department," Huang added.
From "Empowerment" to "Synergy": Coordinated Development of Manufacturing and Services. Guangdong is leveraging its comprehensive empowerment system to create a chemical reaction between manufacturing and services at every stage. The 2026 Guangdong High-Quality Development Conference focused on the synergistic development of manufacturing and services, sending a clear signal: Guangdong is moving towards a systematic new phase of "dual-industry synergy." Modern services and advanced manufacturing are no longer isolated but deeply integrated and mutually supportive.
"Services empower manufacturing, while manufacturing drives the upgrading of services. This process continuously generates new quality productive forces and reshapes the value chain," further explained Liu Quanhong, Director of the Institute of Industrial Economy and Technology Economics at the National Development and Reform Commission. He noted that industrial competitive advantage is shifting from pure manufacturing capability to a combination of "manufacturing + service + data + brand + standards." For Guangdong to consolidate its advantage in advanced manufacturing into an advantage in a modern industrial system, it must simultaneously strengthen its producer services. In fact, Guangdong has already developed a set of replicable and promotable experiences in dual-industry synergy. The integration, derivation, and transformation of manufacturing and services are key trends in industrial development. In the future, Guangdong will use the strength of its manufacturing sector to牵引 the excellence of its service sector, and use the excellence of its services to enhance the strength of its manufacturing, opening up new horizons for industrial development through the mutual reinforcement of being a "strong manufacturing province" and a "service highland."