China's first large-scale, dedicated optical quantum computer manufacturing plant was recently established in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, marking the country's giant leap from research to mass production of such high-tech equipment.

Shenzhen, as one of China's four Special Economic Zones, has been committed to the deep integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation over the past five years, improving commercial development patterns and industrial systems, and its products are being shared globally.

Innovation drives enterprises

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) has developed China's third-generation nuclear reactor technology, centered on Hualong One reactors with independent intellectual property rights. Meanwhile, CGN has played a leading role in the nuclear energy industry chain, driving over 5,400 upstream and downstream enterprises to achieve the independent production of more than 400 key types of equipment.

Statistics show that in Shenzhen, over 90 percent of research institutions, personnel, funds and invention patents come from enterprises. In 2024, Shenzhen's R&D expenditure exceeded 245 billion RMB, among which enterprises invested nearly 230 billion RMB, accounting for over 93 percent.

In this tech-fertile region with active innovation ecosystems, tech giants like Huawei and Tencent have firmly established their roots, while unicorns such as DJI and UBTECH are on the rise. In 2024, the number of national high-tech enterprises in Shenzhen exceeded 25,000, averaging 12 per square kilometer.

Upgrading industrial system

The biomanufacturing industry is booming in Shenzhen, becoming a typical representative of new quality productive forces and a new engine for economic development. At present, Shenzhen has established a complete industrial system for biomanufacturing, with nearly 400 related enterprises.

The upgrading of traditional industries in Shenzhen is accelerating. In the Skyworth Technology Industrial Park, 5G technology is reshaping the production process: 5G+8K cameras monitor the operation of workshops in real time, maintenance personnel automatically obtain equipment parameters through AR glasses, and AGV carts independently plan their paths.

There is an impressive modern production line in Skyworth's smart factory, which can produce 75-inch TVs in the morning and switch to producing 100-inch ones in the afternoon. Wu Wei, the chief engineer at Skyworth, said that after upgrading the production line, the production efficiency has doubled.

Shenzhen is accelerating the development of industrial clusters and high-end industries. The Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has taken the lead in establishing platforms and setting up the national bio-manufacturing industry innovation center with enterprises. It has also gathered a multi-disciplinary team of over 1,400 specialists to facilitate industrial innovation and upgrading.

Going global

Local start-up Bambu Lab has transformed 3D printers from professional equipment into consumer products through technological innovation. Xu Han, head of the 3D model community of the enterprise, said, "We have built the largest 3D model community in the world. The number of 3D models has exceeded one million, and we have ranked first in global desktop 3D printing equipment sales for three consecutive years."

The global influence of technological innovation is not only seen in enterprises but also in clusters. To date, about 14 percent of the world's smartphones, 12.5 percent of new energy vehicles and 70 percent of consumer drones are produced in Shenzhen.

In the first three quarters of 2025, the total value of imports and exports of high-tech products in Shenzhen exceeded 1,800 billion RMB, accounting for 56 percent of the city's total trade volume, with a year-on-year growth of 11 percent. Of this figure, exports reached 923 billion RMB, increasing by nearly 10 percent, according to the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Commerce.