Intelligent manufacturing takes center stage at High-Tech Fair

The China High-Tech Fair, the country's largest technology event, kicked off in Shenzhen on Wednesday, showcasing intelligent manufacturing power in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Wang Lixin, deputy director and secretary-general of the organizing committee, said technological cooperation between Guangdong province and Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions has become increasingly important in the national strategy of Greater Bay Area construction.

The event, which serves as a platform for showcasing technological achievements and cultivating technology enterprises, well matches the objective of building the region into an international technology and innovation hub, he said.

"It will play a very important role in the process of building an invigorated and innovative Greater Bay Area," Wang said.

Themed "Invigorating The Greater Bay Area Through Opening Up And Innovation", the five-day event has attracted more than 3,300 exhibitors from 44 countries and regions across the world.

"The core of our robot is their 'smart brain'－an artificial intelligent cloud computing system," said Shen Jianbo, general manager of Shenzhen-based Smart Dynamics Co Ltd. For example, their inquiry robots can recognize different patients' voices in a noisy environment and recommend doctors according to initial diagnosis.

The firm showcased its tailor-made robots for hospitals, lottery retail, and libraries at the fair. Its robots have been applied in 132 cities over the globe, serving more than 23 million personnel, he added.

Hardware manufacturer Shenzhen Fittop Health Technology Co Ltd launched a new massager at the exhibition as a hit product for their brand upgrading. "We are refocusing on the high-end market and will release more gadgets in this field," said Lu Fei, chief operating officer of Fittop.

The massager, priced at over 2,500 yuan ($356), looks like a Dyson hair dryer and has an intelligent controlling chip inside it. He said the company spent over a year developing the product, and applied for 16 patents.

"We are aiming to become the Dyson in China's intelligent massaging industry," he noted.

Ba Shusong, managing director and chief China economist with Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, pointed out the importance of developing finance in promoting the growth of technology enterprises.

In the past, Hong Kong was basically the only financial service provider in the region, but now, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have also become core cities in the area, he said.

"Back in 2000, market scale of Hong Kong's financial industry accounted for 73.5 percent of the Greater Bay Area's total. By 2008, the gap between Hong Kong and Shenzhen had dropped from 62.9 percent to 35.3 percent. By 2016, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have also become cities with a developed financial industry," Ba said.

He said there is large room for financial cooperation between cities in the Greater Bay Area, which can develop differentiated financial services to promote technology and innovation growth.

The Bay Area economy, which has played an important role in driving the country's economic growth, is undergoing a transformation and upgrade period, from one driven by traditional industries to one propelled by services and innovation, Ba said earlier at a forum in Zhuhai.

In the process, the financial industry needs to comply with the change, developing itself into a diversified industry that includes venture capital, financial technology, financial business and green finance, he said.