On September 10, the 2025 Guangzhou Development District Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Development Summit was successfully held in Huangpu District, Guangzhou.
Centered around AI-powered smart manufacturing upgrades, the event brought together leading experts, scholars, representatives from Fortune 500 companies, and industry elites to engage in in-depth discussions on key issues such as intelligent technology-driven industrial transformation and international cooperation opportunities.
During the event, Guangzhou Development District Investment Group and the American Chamber of Commerce in South China signed an investment promotion cooperation agreement. The two parties will establish a long-term collaboration mechanism in areas such as investment promotion, industry research, and enterprise services to facilitate the implementation of more U.S.-funded projects in Huangpu. This initiative aims to support Guangzhou Development District in building a hub for intelligent manufacturing and promote high-level opening-up and high-quality development in the region.
Representatives from globally renowned companies, including Microsoft, PepsiCo, and FedEx, gathered for industry resource matchmaking sessions.
In a keynote address, Harley Seyedin, Chairman and President of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, emphasized that despite global economic uncertainties, China continues to be the world's most strategic and preferred investment destination.
For eight consecutive years, Guangzhou has been ranked as China's top investment destination. As a core engine of the city's growth, Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District host more than 330 Fortune 500 companies and offer a range of competitive advantages, including a 15% preferential tax rate for high-tech enterprises, R&D subsidies of up to RMB 50 million, and a 90% administrative approval efficiency rate.
With a business environment ranked first in China, cutting-edge industries such as biomedicine and artificial intelligence, and an internationally livable environment, the district has become a strategic hub for global enterprises seeking to expand their presence in China and secure future success.
Neil Bush, Founder and Chairman of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, delivered another keynote speech, proposing that the Pacific should serve as a common stage connected by digital bridges, innovative ideas, and deep collaboration, rather than a geographical divide.
He expressed profound admiration for Guangdong's rapid transformation into a global hub for technological innovation. In an exclusive interview with South, he praised Guangdong's unique advantages as a center for robotics, AI, and big data integration in manufacturing, suggesting that these strengths will attract more international partnerships. "If these companies can bring state-of-the-art technology with high-tech precision manufacturing processes, American joint venture partners would appreciate having that kind of technical expertise in the U.S.," he stated.
Mr. Wu Bin, General Manager of Guangzhou Development District Investment Group, delivered a thematic investment promotion presentation, inviting participants to seize the development opportunities in Guangzhou Development District.
The event also featured insights from industry leaders such as Cisco, Honor, and KPMG, who shared innovative practices and perspectives on intelligent manufacturing and AI applications.
Under the theme "AI Empowers Industrial Transformation," participants engaged in in-depth discussions on application cases and practical experiences of artificial intelligence in smart manufacturing, intelligent logistics, and consumer goods innovation, exploring new pathways for digital transformation and high-quality development.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua, Huang Xinyi
Photo | 2025 Guangzhou Development District Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Development Summit
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
