Guangdong is making waves in the tech world with its ambitious plans to become a leader in artificial intelligence and robotics. The government has unveiled impressive subsidies to support start-ups, focusing on attracting top talent and leveraging the strengths of local giants like Huawei and Tencent.
These initiatives are designed to give a substantial boost to companies in the sector. For example, there’s a generous grant of up to 50 million yuan (around US$6.9 million) for each ‘manufacturing innovation hub’ dedicated to AI and robotics. Individual companies can also receive up to 3 million yuan. It’s a big deal, especially if you’re looking to innovate in this space.
The government isn’t stopping there. They’re backing five ‘open-source communities’ and supporting ten real-world applications of large language models in manufacturing each year, with each project potentially receiving up to 8 million yuan. This is a clear signal that they’re serious about fostering innovation.
These efforts follow in the footsteps of Zhejiang province’s successes with companies like DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics. DeepSeek’s founder, Liang Wenfeng, originally from Guangdong, studied at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, which paved the way for his ventures in AI and hedge funds.
Guangdong is aiming high, aspiring to become a ‘global innovation highland.’ It’s a bold vision, but with this kind of support and strategic planning, they’re well on their way to cementing their status as a key player in the AI and robotics landscape.
