By China Daily | Adapted for ZH Sailing
Once a modest 2.5-square-kilometer stretch of farmland on Chengdu’s southern outskirts, the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Sichuan province has, over nearly four decades, transformed into a premier hub for emerging and future industries. Leveraging technological innovation, advanced manufacturing, and the digital economy, the zone now serves as a model for innovation-driven growth in western China.
Founded in 1988, Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone was among China’s first State-level high-tech zones and the first national independent innovation demonstration zone in western China. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–25), the zone recorded robust economic performance, with annual GDP growth averaging around 22 billion yuan ($3.19 billion). By 2025, its GDP had risen to 366.15 billion yuan, up 6.1 percent year-on-year, reflecting steady industrial upgrading and a shift toward high-value sectors.
Strategic Industries Driving Growth
The zone’s value-added output in the electronic information sector increased by 10 percent in 2025, while strategic emerging industries reached a scale of 247.83 billion yuan. Future industries contributed 8.13 billion yuan, demonstrating that innovation and next-generation technologies are central to its growth model.
A flagship example is BOE Technology Group’s 8.6th generation AMOLED production line, recently activated in the western area of the zone. The project, the first of its kind in China, reduces OLED screen power consumption, extends product lifespan, and improves manufacturing efficiency. BOE CEO Feng Qiang emphasized that this line reinforces Chengdu’s industrial ecosystem and underlines the city’s commitment to high-quality growth.
AI and Robotics Lead the Next Frontier
Emerging industries, particularly artificial intelligence applications, are gaining traction. At the Zhuge AI Center — an AI-focused industrial park within the zone — Chengdu Yuefan Innovation Technology has deployed the Sendbot Space system, a commercial embodied-intelligence sorting-and-delivery solution.
Unlike conventional logistics robots, this system operates as an autonomous intelligent agent, integrating sorting, dispatching, and delivery across multiple floors in office buildings. Employees place orders from their desks, while robots complete the entire chain with human-like perception, reflecting a leap in AI-enabled industrial automation.
These developments align with China’s “AI Plus” initiative, which accelerates the adoption of intelligent terminals, AI agents, and large-scale commercial AI applications, fostering new AI-native business models.
Investment and Innovation Outlook
For foreign investors and multinational corporations, Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone represents a strategic gateway into western China’s innovation ecosystem. With its robust technology-driven industrial base, the zone exemplifies China’s dual focus on manufacturing excellence and innovation-led growth, offering opportunities in electronics, AI, automation, and strategic emerging sectors.
Bai Wenxi, vice-chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Union, highlighted the zone’s achievements: “Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone illustrates how technology-driven development can create a sustainable, innovation-led growth model. For investors, the integration of AI, advanced manufacturing, and future industries provides a compelling landscape for long-term engagement.”
As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30), the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is poised to remain a cornerstone of western China’s industrial modernization, bridging high-tech innovation with market opportunities and demonstrating the potential of next-generation industries to drive regional and national growth.