Shenzhen, a city driven by innovation, is advancing the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and embodied robotics with unprecedented efforts. On March 18, 2025, the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology officially issued the "Operating Rules for the Support Plan for the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology to Build an Artificial Intelligence Pioneer City Project" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), injecting strong impetus into Shenzhen's artificial intelligence industrial cluster. It is reported that after the implementation of the policy, Shenzhen will invest more than 1 billion RMB in subsidy funds to accurately support all aspects of the artificial intelligence industry and promote the blowout development of the industry.
1. Policy layout: precise support and comprehensive coverage
The "Regulations" focus on key areas such as computing power support, basic data, artificial intelligence software, artificial intelligence products, and artificial intelligence services, and support 10 key projects through post-event rewards and subsidies. This precise policy layout aims to build a complete artificial intelligence industry ecosystem and form a strong synergistic effect.
Among them, the "model voucher" project has become a highlight of the policy. The project supports enterprises to carry out innovative applications based on generative AI models filed with the Cyberspace Administration of China, and subsidizes the cost of model purchases. In principle, the annual amount of "model coupons" applied for by a single enterprise shall not exceed 1 million yuan, and the maximum amount shall not exceed 2 million yuan, and the "model coupons" can be deducted no more than 30% of the model purchase cost. Taking a technology company in Shenzhen as an example, it successfully applied for a subsidy of 1.5 million yuan in 2025 for the purchase of advanced generative artificial intelligence models, which greatly reduced R&D costs and accelerated the development process of smart office products.
In addition, the artificial intelligence industry application demonstration benchmark project is also worthy of attention. For eligible projects, the government will subsidize 30% of the actual investment of the approved project construction entity, of which the demonstration application project is up to 2 million yuan, and the benchmark application project with a leading role can reach up to 10 million yuan. A medical technology company in Shenzhen has received a benchmark application project grant of 8 million yuan for its innovative application in the field of artificial intelligence-assisted medical diagnosis. The funds will be used to further optimize its medical imaging diagnostic system, improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, and bring greater changes to the medical industry.
In addition, the artificial intelligence industry application demonstration benchmark project is also worthy of attention. For eligible projects, the government will subsidize 30% of the actual investment of the approved project construction entity, of which the demonstration application project is up to 2 million yuan, and the benchmark application project with a leading role can reach up to 10 million yuan. A medical technology company in Shenzhen has received a benchmark application project grant of 8 million yuan for its innovative application in the field of artificial intelligence-assisted medical diagnosis. The funds will be used to further optimize its medical imaging diagnostic system, improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, and bring greater changes to the medical industry.
Figure: Shenzhen has invested 1 billion subsidies to improve the artificial intelligence industry chain and meet the grow spurt (picture from the Internet)
2. Industry promotion: optimize the ecology and stimulate vitality
Shenzhen's artificial intelligence industry is showing a vigorous development trend driven by policies. Taking embodied intelligent robots as an example, the "Regulations" set up an artificial intelligence product application reward project, which rewards the annual explosive products whose sales volume reaches a certain scale, and gives a reward of up to 3 million yuan to a single enterprise according to 5% of the actual annual sales amount of the approved declared products. This not only helps enterprises expand their market share, but also stimulates innovation in the market competition, prompting enterprises to continuously optimize product performance and user experience.
In terms of industrial ecology, Shenzhen has formed a relatively complete industrial chain. From basic hardware to algorithm research and development, from application development to marketing, many enterprises are involved in all links. Shenzhen's well-developed electronic information manufacturing industry provides a solid foundation for the production of artificial intelligence hardware equipment. According to statistics, the scale of Shenzhen's artificial intelligence core industry in 2023 will be 38.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.1%; The number of applications for artificial intelligence invention patents reached 6,080, ranking second among major cities in the country; By the end of 2023, the number of AI-related enterprises in Shenzhen will reach 1,646, ranking third in the country, including 97 specialized, special and new "little giant" enterprises and 578 specialized, special and new small and medium-sized enterprises.
3. Innovation and breakthrough: technology leading, talent gathering
Shenzhen's innovation and breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence is inseparable from strong scientific research strength and talent support. Many scientific research institutions and universities have taken root in Shenzhen, providing a steady stream of intellectual support for industrial development. For example, the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology has made remarkable achievements in the basic research and application development of artificial intelligence, and its research and development of intelligent robots and intelligent perception technologies have been applied in many fields. In 2025, the research results of the institute in the field of embodied intelligent robots will be successfully transformed into actual products and highly recognized by the market, promoting Shenzhen's technological leadership in this field.
The optimization of the talent policy has also attracted a large number of high-end talents in the field of artificial intelligence to Shenzhen. A good environment for innovation and entrepreneurship and generous policies have made Shenzhen a highland for talents. According to statistics, the number of professionals in the field of artificial intelligence in Shenzhen has exceeded 100,000, including experts and scholars from top universities and scientific research institutions at home and abroad. These talents not only bring advanced technology and ideas, but also promote the rapid development of the industry in practice. For example, more than 20% of its R&D team has PhDs, and they have made important contributions to technological breakthroughs in natural language processing, computer vision and other fields with solid professional knowledge and innovation capabilities.
4. The future outlook: lead the trend, create a better future
Shenzhen's layout in the artificial intelligence and embodied robot industry is not only related to its own economic development, but also has a far-reaching impact on the global technology industry pattern. With the in-depth implementation of policies and the sustainable development of the industry, Shenzhen is expected to form a number of technological achievements and innovation models with global influence in the field of artificial intelligence, leading the development trend of the global artificial intelligence industry.
In the future, Shenzhen will continue to strengthen policy support, optimize the industrial ecology, and promote the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology with the real economy. At the same time, Shenzhen will also actively expand international cooperation, attract global resources, and jointly build an open, innovative and win-win AI industry ecology. It is estimated that by 2030, the scale of Shenzhen's artificial intelligence industry will exceed 1 trillion yuan, accounting for more than 15% of the city's GDP, becoming one of the important pillars of Shenzhen's economic development. Shenzhen's artificial intelligence industry is not only making breakthroughs at the technological level, but also continuously improving its commercialization and global competitiveness.
In the next few years, we may see Shenzhen's AI companies emerge in more segments, such as:
- Autonomous driving and intelligent transportation: Shenzhen has become the forefront of autonomous driving technology pilots in China, and will realize more innovative applications in the fields of intelligent transportation and driverless taxis in the future.
- Intelligent Manufacturing and Industrial AI: Relying on Shenzhen's strong manufacturing foundation, AI+ industrial automation will further improve production efficiency and product quality, and promote Shenzhen to become a global intelligent manufacturing center.
- AI chips and computing infrastructure: Shenzhen's chip design companies are accelerating the research and development of AI-specific chips, and combined with national policy support, they may occupy a more important position in the AI computing power industry chain in the future.
- AI+Healthcare: Shenzhen's AI-powered medical applications have entered the practical stage, and more breakthroughs will be made in precision medicine, remote diagnosis, and intelligent image recognition in the future.
- Embodied intelligent robots: Thanks to Shenzhen's hardware manufacturing advantages, it is foreseeable that more AI-enabled robot products will enter the consumer market in the future, such as household robots, medical assistance robots, and intelligent security equipment.
Shenzhen's artificial intelligence industry development model will provide a reference for the construction of a global smart technology city. In the future, Shenzhen will not only continue to make breakthroughs in technological innovation, but also actively explore the social responsibility, ethical issues and sustainable development models of AI, so as to ensure that AI technology can better serve human society while improving productivity.
Conclusion
Shenzhen's artificial intelligence industry is in a stage of explosive growth, and Shenzhen is expected to become an important leader in the field of global artificial intelligence under the multiple effects of government policy guidance, industrial ecological improvement, technological breakthroughs and talent gathering. With the in-depth application of AI technology, Shenzhen will not only be "China's Silicon Valley", but also likely to become the core hub of global AI innovation.
In the future, we expect Shenzhen AI companies to occupy a more important position on the global stage and lead China's AI industry to a new peak!
