A new initiative aimed at accelerating the growth of the smart home sector has been officially released. The plan focuses on enriching the variety of high-quality smart products available and ensuring they cater to a broad spectrum of consumer needs across different demographics.
The comprehensive strategy, crafted by eight government departments, outlines seven key areas of action. A central goal is to encourage manufacturers to intensify their research and development efforts, creating a wider array of intelligent home devices. To help consumers experience these innovations firsthand, the plan calls for the establishment of dedicated smart home experience centers and model rooms within home furnishing malls and shopping centers.
Where to begin the rollout involves cultivating large, reputable home improvement enterprises and platforms that offer personalized and diverse renovation packages. These providers will be encouraged to develop customized, order-based, and appointment-based services to better meet individual consumer preferences. The initiative also prioritizes the creation of smart home software and hardware products, along with integrated solutions, that are built on domestically developed open-source operating systems.
A significant portion of the plan is dedicated to establishing a robust technical framework. This involves refining the standards for evaluating the intelligence levels of smart home products and fast-tracking the implementation of mandatory national standards for device interoperability. By facilitating seamless communication between different gadgets, the plan aims to promote the integrated development of whole-home intelligence. Furthermore, it mandates that telecom operators enable IPv6 by default on home broadband equipment to enhance network connectivity and requires newly decorated residences to include basic smart product installations, with a strong encouragement for deploying fiber optics directly to individual rooms.
To stimulate consumer demand, the plan aligns with the 2026 policy for trading in old consumer goods. Regional authorities will be given the flexibility to define the specific product categories eligible for subsidies and set appropriate subsidy levels, thereby providing financial support for the purchase of new whole-home smart systems. The focus extends to the growing elderly demographic, with initiatives to promote age-friendly smart products such as home service robots, health monitoring devices, and intelligent care equipment. Companies are urged to incorporate accessible design principles, considering factors like product dimensions, ease of operation, dialect recognition, and safety features, and to pursue certification for these senior-friendly offerings.
Addressing the complete product lifecycle, the plan directs local governments to establish well-located collection points for old home furnishings, integrating these into urban planning and providing necessary land support. Collaboration between home furnishing companies and recycling firms will be encouraged to offer convenient services like "deliver new, collect old" and "internet + recycling," alongside the promotion of mobile collection models. On the community front, the initiative seeks to leverage leading enterprises to create comprehensive home renewal service stations in suitable neighborhoods, consolidating repair and maintenance, storage, and exchange services while also establishing immersive smart home experience spaces.
Financial backing forms a critical pillar of the new policy. Financial institutions are being encouraged to develop a diverse range of consumer finance products tailored to home improvement and furnishing needs. The plan also highlights the use of fiscal discount policies on personal consumption loans to incentivize banks to increase lending support, making it easier and more attractive for consumers to invest in smart home products.