On November 14, the 27th China International High-Tech Fair (CHTF) kicked off in Shenzhen. At this year’s event, Futian District showcased an immersive "Future Life Pavilion" under the theme "Embracing AI • Envisioning the Future." Over 50 tech companies displayed nearly 150 innovative exhibits, highlighting achievements in AI+ industrial development, AI+ public welfare, AI+ science and technology, AI+ global collaboration, and AI+ consumer upgrades. The exhibition also demonstrated the full-chain research capabilities from fundamental research to commercialization, featuring breakthroughs in quantum technology, biopharmaceuticals, and smart hardware. Interactive experiences, including embodied AI competitions, NAO robot dances, AI portable ultrasound, and 3D/VR urban exploration, further underscored Futian’s strength as a "Central Innovation District."
Spanning 78.66 square kilometers, Futian has nurtured three emerging industrial clusters—smart terminals, new energy, and software/information services—each exceeding 100 billion yuan in output. Additionally, biopharmaceuticals and semiconductors have doubled their output in three years. The district boasts rapid growth in national high-tech enterprises, specialized "Little Giant" firms, and high-level innovation platforms, cementing its status as a hub for advanced productivity. Futian ranks first in the "Saidin Investment Competitiveness Top 100 Districts" and "Saidin Happiness Top 100 Districts," and second in the "Saidin China Top 100 Districts." This year, its economy is expected to hit a new high, fulfilling key targets of the 14th Five-Year Plan.
To enhance the synergy between technology and urban development, Futian launched a long-term industrial plan (2017–2035) in 2017—the first of its kind at the district level—aiming for a "Manhattan + Silicon Valley" model. Today, as Shenzhen’s central urban area and home to the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, Futian is advancing a "CBD + Innovation Zone" strategy. It fosters cutting-edge R&D, corporate HQs, and tech-finance-culture integration through policies, infrastructure, capital, and real-world applications, creating a "closed-loop ecosystem" for innovation.
Supportive measures include policies for semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, and IT services, alongside initiatives like "Credit + Video Services" and the "Xin Fu+" credit-based financing program for SMEs. On November 1, Futian unveiled six major incentives covering policy support, funding, space, talent, housing, and services. These include up to 50 million yuan in subsidies across eight sectors and an 80-billion-yuan fund for strategic industries.
The Hetao Cooperation Zone, operating under a "one zone, two parks" model, accelerates cross-border innovation with tailored policies. Shenzhen Corerain Technologies, a Hetao-grown firm, won accolades for its CAISA 430 AI chip, deployed in over 5,000 projects. "Hetao’s location and policies fuel our growth," said Vice President Luan Lihong.
Futian’s innovation ecosystem thrives with 1,603 high-tech firms, 609 specialized SMEs, and 60 "Little Giants"—a 7.6x surge in three years. A new "Gazelle and Unicorn" cultivation plan targets 70 such firms by 2027. In AI, Futian hosts 360 enterprises (13% of Shenzhen’s total), with cluster output up 17.9% to 9.435 billion yuan. The district has opened 1,003 AI application scenarios, spanning low-altitude economy and embodied intelligence.
By year-end, Futian plans to establish five AI hubs (including computing power and large-model centers) and 50 demo scenarios, launching 20+ pioneering products. Industrial space is expanding, with Hetao adding 800,000 sqm (15x growth) for biotech and semiconductor parks, while Meilin-Caitian develops 1.2 million sqm for the "Shenzhen Intelligence Valley." Chegongmiao’s 1.68-million-sqm upgrade will host tech, fashion, and venture capital HQs.
Hetao’s Shenzhen park now houses 10 major research platforms, eight Fortune 500 R&D centers, and a 10,000P computing power network—the city’s largest. Futian’s R&D spending hit 13.6 billion yuan, leading Shenzhen in growth.
Looking ahead, Futian aims to build "6 Valleys + 4 Centers + 4 High-Grounds," targeting two trillion-yuan (finance, wholesale) and eight 100-billion-yuan clusters (AI+, new energy, chips, biotech, etc.). Xu Yang, Director of Futian’s Technology and Industry Bureau, emphasized anchoring the "Central Innovation District" vision, optimizing AI/semiconductor infrastructure, deepening Hetao’s cross-border collaboration, and bolstering patient capital to empower startups.
Futian’s relentless drive for innovation promises to redefine its growth trajectory, scripting a new chapter as a beacon of technological advancement.
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