In a significant move to solidify its position as a global hub for advanced manufacturing, Guangdong Province launched the Artificial Intelligence and Robot Industry Alliance (AIRIA) on June 6, 2025, in Guangzhou. The event, attended by government officials, industry leaders, and academic experts, marked a pivotal step in China’s quest to dominate the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. With the release of the inaugural AIR Pearl River Index, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to integrating innovation, industry, capital, and talent, Guangdong is poised to drive China’s transformation from a “manufacturing giant” to a “smart manufacturing powerhouse,” with profound implications for the global tech landscape.
A Milestone Event: Launching the Alliance and Index
The AIRIA’s first general meeting unveiled a suite of initiatives designed to accelerate the convergence of AI and robotics. Central to the event was the launch of the AIR Pearl River Index, the world’s first comprehensive evaluation index combining AI and robotics industries. The index assesses the development levels of ten Chinese provinces and four major economic clusters, providing a robust framework to measure competitiveness in research, industry application, and market potential.
Guangdong emerged as the clear leader, scoring 92.23 points in the comprehensive index, far ahead of second-place Beijing (82.66 points) and third-place Zhejiang (75.00 points) . The province’s dominance extended to seven core indicators, including enterprise development, market potential, and industry application, underscoring its role as the nation’s “core engine” in AI and robotics .
“The AIR Pearl River Index confirms Guangdong’s unrivaled strength in integrating technology, industry, and market,” said Zhang Yin, Secretary-General of AIRIA, during the launch. “Our full industrial chain—from chip design and algorithm development to terminal production and application—gives us a unique competitive edge.”
Guangdong’s Dominance: A Deep Dive into the Data
Guangdong’s leadership is rooted in its robust industrial ecosystem. In 2024, the province produced 246,000 units of industrial robots, accounting for 44% of China’s total output . Its AI core industry scale exceeded 220 billion yuan ($30.8 billion) in 2024, with the first four months of 2025 already reaching 77 billion yuan, firmly placing it in the “first tier” nationwide .
The Pearl River Delta (PRD) economic circle, a cornerstone of Guangdong’s success, boasts a complete “chip-algorithm-terminal-application” industrial chain. Unlike other regions, the PRD’s strength lies in its vertical integration: from research institutions driving breakthroughs in AI algorithms to manufacturing hubs producing robotic arms and smart devices, the region has created a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem .
“Here in the Greater Bay Area, we can develop and manufacture humanoid robots without leaving the region,” noted Xu Jincheng, CEO of Parsini Perceptual Technology and an AIRIA council member. “Our upstream and downstream supply chains are so comprehensive that they form a ‘one-stop shop’ for robotics innovation.”
The Alliance’s Vision: Bridging Research and Industry
With 331 member enterprises, including tech giants like Huawei and Xiaopeng Motors, AIRIA aims to break down silos between academia, industry, and government. “AI and robotics are highly interdisciplinary, but researchers and manufacturers often operate in isolation,” explained Academician Zhang Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “The alliance creates a platform for resource sharing, enabling collaborative development of cutting-edge technologies.”
Key initiatives include the “Ten Ones” action plan: developing a industry development index, mapping the industrial chain, publishing white papers, and launching a 10-billion-yuan ($1.4 billion) smart industry fund . Financial institutions, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Agricultural Bank of China, signed strategic agreements to provide capital support, ensuring that innovative projects have access to long-term financing .
“AIRIA is a testament to Guangdong’s commitment to ‘政产学研金’ (government-industry-academia-research-capital) collaboration,” said Chen Zhilie, Chairman of the Guangdong Federation of Industry and Commerce. “By uniting 331 enterprises, we can drive collective innovation, cultivate talent, and elevate the entire industry.”
Talent and Technology: Pillars of Sustainable Growth
Recognizing that talent is the core driver of innovation, AIRIA has prioritized building a “collaborative education ecosystem.” The alliance will establish talent training bases with universities, focusing on cultivating leading innovators and young professionals. “The demand for robotics talent is enormous,” said Academician Ding Han of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. “Guangdong’s alliance can bridge the gap between academic research and industrial needs, fostering a pipeline of experts in intelligent computing, multi-dimensional perception, and robotic mechanics.”
Ding highlighted the challenges in humanoid robot development, particularly in achieving “embodied intelligence”—the ability to perceive and interact with the environment like humans. “While we’ve made progress in hardware, breakthroughs in dynamic behavior and generalized learning are still needed,” he said. “Guangdong’s integrated 产业链 (industrial chain) can accelerate this process by combining basic research with application scenarios.”
Industry Leaders Weigh In: Opportunities and Challenges
Huawei, a key player in AI infrastructure, sees Guangdong’s alliance as a catalyst for broader technological adoption. “AI is becoming the new ‘electricity’ for the digital economy,” said Zhang Ping’an, CEO of Huawei Cloud. “In 2025, we enter the ‘era of intelligent agents,’ where AI moves beyond perception and cognition to execution.” Huawei plans to support the alliance through its 昇腾 (Ascend) computing platform, aiming to grow its developer community from under 1 million to compete with global rivals like NVIDIA’s 8 million developers -.
Xiaopeng Motors Chairman He Xiaopeng echoed this optimism, comparing smart electric vehicles to “primitive wheeled robots” and predicting that the next three to four years will see the rise of AI-driven “super applications,” akin to WeChat and Douyin. “The AI industry’s upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors all hold immense potential,” he said. “Guangdong’s role as a manufacturing and innovation hub will be crucial in seizing these opportunities.” –
Global Implications: Guangdong’s Role in China’s Robot Ambitions
As China seeks to dominate the global robotics market, Guangdong’s model of regional collaboration and full-chain integration offers a blueprint for national innovation. The Greater Bay Area, with its world-class universities, manufacturing clusters, and policy support, is uniquely positioned to drive breakthroughs in sectors like smart manufacturing, healthcare robotics, and autonomous systems.
“Guangdong’s strength lies in its ability to translate research into reality,” said Professor Chen Xiaoqi, a member of AIRIA’s expert committee and Dean of the Wuxianming Intelligent Engineering School at South China University of Technology. “By integrating universities, enterprises, and capital, we can overcome the ‘valley of death’ in technology commercialization, ensuring that lab innovations reach the market efficiently.” –
Looking Ahead: A Roadmap for Innovation
With the launch of AIRIA, Guangdong has set its sights on nothing less than reshaping the global AI and robotics landscape. The alliance’s focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration, talent cultivation, and market-driven innovation reflects China’s strategic shift toward high-quality, technology-driven growth.
As the world watches, Guangdong’s “chain-driven” approach—linking innovation, industry, capital, and talent—could define the next era of China’s technological rise. For the robotics industry, the message is clear: China is not just a participant but a leader, and Guangdong is its vanguard.
In the words of Pengcheng Laboratory Director Gao Wen, “The future of AI belongs to those who can build ecosystems, not just technologies. With AIRIA, Guangdong is building an ecosystem that will power China’s robot industry for decades to come.” –
As the sun sets on the Pearl River, the province’s new alliance stands as a testament to China’s ambition in AI and robotics. With every robot arm that moves, every algorithm that learns, and every innovation that scales, Guangdong is writing a new chapter in the global tech race—one where “Made in China” evolves into “Innovation from China.”