Guangdong province, China’s most populous region, has outlined ambitious objectives to advance its manufacturing sector by 2028, aiming to enhance its role as a global industrial leader amid concerns over domestic demand and export challenges. Among its targets, the province plans to produce more than 80,000 humanoid robots annually as part of a broader push towards high-tech manufacturing.
Officials announced at a recent advanced manufacturing conference that Guangdong intends to establish over 1,000 high-performance smart factories and an equal number of green factories within the next two years. The green factories will be evaluated based on energy efficiency, resource utilization, and environmental impact, reflecting a broader commitment to sustainable industrial practices.
In addition, the province aims to raise the adoption rate of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies among manufacturers with annual main business revenues exceeding 20 million yuan (approximately HK$23.4 million) to more than 50 percent within two years. This drive to integrate AI into manufacturing processes underscores Guangdong’s efforts to modernize its industrial base.
Representatives from KUKA China, a prominent industrial robot manufacturer, highlighted advancements in localizing core components at their Shunde facility, boosting the localization rate to over 90 percent. Shu Yang, the firm’s product and presales technology director, noted that certain robot models previously exclusive to German factories are now produced in China, although some Chinese-made models are not yet manufactured in Germany.
Guangdong, home to 10 industrial clusters each valued at over 1 trillion yuan, generated 19.34 trillion yuan in revenue last year, the highest among Chinese provinces. The province has also increased the deployment of embodied-intelligence robots, with over 2,000 units entering industrial use this year for tasks such as sorting, loading, handling, inspection, and collaboration.
Peng Peng, executive chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform, a government-affiliated think tank, described the 2028 goals as part of a strategic shift towards cultivating world-class, globally competitive manufacturing hubs through the integration of AI technologies. He acknowledged that while Guangdong’s economic growth has lagged behind the national average, exports remain a relatively strong area.
Peng also noted that besides a sluggish property market, investment in the province appears robust, driven largely by growth in advanced manufacturing and high-tech sectors. He emphasized that AI could serve as a crucial mechanism for combining Guangdong’s longstanding manufacturing capacity with innovation, reinforcing the province’s industrial modernization ambitions.