Emerging industries propel Longhua's high-quality development

In 2024, Longhua’s economy achieved robust growth, driven by thriving emerging industries and the development of strategic clusters and key sectors.

An aerial view of Dalang Fashion Town in Longhua District. Liu Xudong

A digital economy landmark has emerged in northern Longhua, highlighted by key projects such as the Jiulong Hill Industrial Park, Mindray’s Global Supply Chain Headquarters, and Winner Medical’s Industrial Building. These developments have fostered industrial clusters in networks and communications, industrial master machines, and high-end medical equipment manufacturing, further strengthening Longhua’s position in the digital economy and unlocking new opportunities for a digitally empowered future.

Other key areas and strategic clusters include the Shenzhen North Station International Business District, the Meilin Checkpoint Industrial Hub, and the South China Logistics Park in southern Longhua, a demonstration zone for the integrated development of biotechnology and information technology, an international digital culture demonstration town in Guanlan, eastern Longhua, and the Dalang Fashion Town in western Longhua.

A computer-generated image of Mindray's global supply chain headquarters in Longhua District. File photo

In 2020, Longhua became the first district in Shenzhen to propose establishing a digital economy pilot demonstration zone. Since then, it has developed the city’s most comprehensive, wide-reaching, and supportive digital economy policy framework.

Over the past four years, Longhua’s digital economy has experienced rapid growth, marked by the formation of a robust digital economy industrial chain and the emergence of new applications, scenarios, and experiences across various industries. From January to August this year, the district recorded 1,265 enterprises involved in the digital economy, collectively generating a total output of 334.53 billion yuan (US$46.83 billion) and reflecting an 8.4% year-on-year increase.

Digitalization drives development

Foxconn Industrial Internet’s (Fii) factory in Guanlan, Longhua District, was selected by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and McKinsey & Company as the first Sustainability Lighthouse Factory in Guangdong Province in October.

The GS Park in Guanlan, Longhua District. Wang Haolan

This recognition brings the total number of Lighthouse Factories operated by Fii to nine. Moreover, Fii has extended its outreach both domestically and internationally by empowering five external Lighthouse Factories and providing digitalization and sustainable development solutions to over 1,500 enterprises worldwide.

In 2023, leading enterprises in Longhua District, such as Shenzhen Sunlord Electronics Co. Ltd., Boyd (Shenzhen) Thermal Systems Ltd., Yuzhan Technology, and Century Technology (Shenzhen) Corporation Ltd., achieved a computer numerical control (CNC) automation rate of over 60% in key processes.

More than 50% of their research and development processes were carried out using digital design tools, while over 70% of their production equipment was connected to digital networks or systems for monitoring, control, and data exchange.

The headquarters of Marisfrolg Group in Dalang Fashion Town, Longhua District. Liu Xudong

The software industry in Longhua District, a key driver of digital industrialization, achieved an annual output of over 50 billion yuan in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 20% over the past three years.

In July, Longhua’s big data analysis and application software industrial cluster was recognized as one of the most distinctive industrial clusters of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Guangdong Province. Furthermore, in August, Longhua saw the official establishment of the Shenzhen North Station Software Industrial Base and the Harmony Industrial Park.

Riding the waves of emerging industries

Longhua’s high-quality development benefits from the thriving low-altitude economy. The district is home to over 366 enterprises in this sector, accounting for 14.25% of Shenzhen’s total and ranking fourth citywide. The Longhua Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Park, opened on Dec. 28, 2023, quickly drew several industry leaders, including EHang and Chengdu CAIC Electronics Co. Ltd., within one month.

The district envisions a future focused on integrating the traditional manufacturing and advanced manufacturing industries, with specific focus on new energy storage and bio-medicines. These sectors are poised to collaborate in driving the transformation and upgrading of Longhua’s regional economy.

High-rise office buildings in the Shenzhen North Station International Business District in Minzhi, Longhua District. Wang Haolan

One of the key initiatives is the establishment of Longhua Energy Technology City in the northern part of the district, as announced during the 2nd Global Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Forum in Longhua on Sept. 12. Set to become an international industrial innovation hub for energy technology enterprises with an output value of over 200 billion yuan by 2030, the area has already attracted over 400 companies in the sector.

Since the establishment of the National Innovation Center for High-Performance Medical Devices (NMED) in Longhua in 2020, the district has been steadily developing an innovation ecosystem for the high-end medical device manufacturing industry.

The Shenzhen International Medical Device City, another key initiative by Longhua District, aims to drive the growth of advanced manufacturing and contribute to regional high-quality development. Located in Guanhu Subdistrict, it has already attracted 86 leading medical equipment manufacturers, including Mindray and Pumen Technology.