Digital Economy Investment and Cooperation Conference of Guangzhou Huadu National Economic and Technological Development Zone was recently held under the theme of "Gather Wisdom in the Open Hub to Create GBA Future with Digital Power. Representatives of governments and enterprises gathered in the air-and-rail hub to explore the development path for digital economy.

Enterprise voice: business friendly environment generates new momentum for development

The unanimous praise of entrepreneurs at the event constitutes the best footnote to Huadu's business environment. "It is this atmosphere of 'respecting enterprises in the same way of respecting scientists' that gives us confidence to unswervingly invest in Huadu," said Lin Xiaofei, general manager of Guangzhou-Zhaoqing Region of Wanyang Group Co., Ltd., with emotion, "The business environment of Huadu has not only 'speed', but also 'warmth'. The 'Special Service Team for Wanyang' set up by the District Party Committee and the District government for us, or the regular practice of listening to the demands of enterprises at 'government-enterprise breakfast meetings' , are good examples of how the government has always walked side by side with us. ” Wanyang Group currently has a number of investment projects in Huadu, and will continue to promote the deep integration of advanced manufacturing and modern service industries.

Wu Ailin, chairperson of Guangzhou Xuanhong Human Resources Co., Ltd., summed up the changes in Huadu's business environment with the phrase "reducing burden and increasing efficiency": "Reforms such as 'all-in-one online service' and 'non-face-to-face examination and approval' have greatly reduced the time and energy costs of enterprises; and the Government Affair Hall has set up a feedback window for 'failed attempts' and a special window for 'policy fulfillment' to solve the difficulties of enterprises in examination and approval of applications” Xuanhong Human Resources has already developed a human resource management ecosystem independently and realized innovation, transformation and upgrading of its service model. With the support of Huadu District, the company's business increased significantly in 2024 and 2025.

Zhou Song, President of Valeo China, praised the Huadu's Enterprise Support Mechanism: "The leaders took the initiative to go down to the front line to solve problems and provide efficient support for our investment and expansion!" ” An agreement to increase capital and expand production capacity was signed between Huadu District and Valeo Group this May, which plans to invest in the expansion of intelligent cockpit R&D and production base in Huadu. "Valeo's Huadu plant is our only smart cockpit production site and R&D center in China. More products and technologies will go in the future from Huadu and China to the world. ”

According to Qiu Yue, commercial director of Bilibili Gaming, the BLG Valorant team, after being named after "Guangzhou Huadu", will cooperate with Huadu District in more e-sports industry-related projects in the future. "We are actively preparing for the introduction of relevant international competition events, reconstruction of cultural tourism scenes, and empowerment of technology applications. And the two sides are building together a virtuous circle of 'guidance by event, transformation of consumption, increase of brand value, and upgrading of industry’. Through in-depth integration of e-sports IP and urban culture, we will contribute our share to make Huadu a benchmark for the e-sports cultural tourism industry in the Greater Bay Area and even in the world. ”

Guangzhou Huadu Project of JINGDONG Intelligent Industrial Park is the first intelligent industrial park independently developed, constructed, operated, and managed by JINGDONG Property in South China. The relevant person in charge of JINGDONG Property is also optimistic about the future development of Huadu, "Now, the project has been delivered and put into operation. It has successfully attracted 26 high-quality enterprises (including 9 HNTEs, of which 6 are provincial-level specialized, refined, differentiated, and innovative enterprises and 2 are innovative SMEs). Focusing on auto part industry, audio-optical-electronic industry, beauty and fashion industry and other fields, The Park has formed a strong industrial cluster atmosphere. ”

Mao Yu, Senior Marketing Manager of Corporate Communications at BASF in Greater China, recalled with affection: "140 years ago, it was at the port of Guangzhou that BASF's first synthetic dye products entering China were unloaded, and distributed to all parts of the country. And 140 years later, with the development of Guangdong, in particular, Guangzhou, this place has developed into a global hub for goods, a manufacturing center and an important market for BASF. We think that it is of special significance to hold the 140th anniversary commemorating BASF's start in China here. This idea is strongly supported by the Guangzhou Municipal and Huadu District governments, and planning has already begun for its implementation.

Government action: Digital empowerment in building an open hub in the Greater Bay Area

Huadu, with its dual hub of air and rail transportation, is a main driver of Guangzhou's real economy, an important base of advanced manufacturing in the Greater Bay Area, and a bridge over which the Greater Bay Area-based Guangzhou may serve the world. The recently released Work Plan for Deepening the Reform and Innovation of National Economic and Technological Development Zones to Lead High-quality Development with High-level Opening-up by the Ministry of Commerce is a shot in the arm for the development of Huadu Economic and Technological Development Zone. According to Xu Qingping, executive deputy director of the Management Committee of Guangzhou Huadu Economic Development Zone, plan has been in the making to set up a construction work headquarters for national-level economic development zone to coordinate the strength of the whole District to build a "highland of platform" for reform and innovation. With the innovative operation mode of "one platform to unify resources and one mechanism to strengthen coordination", efforts will be focused on core functions such as industrial development, planning and construction, and investment promotion to realize the "two-in-one" management mode that combines investment promotion and planning & construction, and release the reform and innovation power coming with the "national team" membership, so as to build a high-quality development demonstration zone with national influence.

"We are innovating to set up a market-oriented investment promotion company, which will operate professionally like an enterprise, and understand more keenly the market dynamics and industrial trends, and provide investors with more accurate, efficient and low-cost one-stop services. Our next step is to innovate and practice the model of "boost promotion with investment", in which capital ties will be explored to attract and empower high-growth and high-quality projects, and accelerate the upgrading of industrial clusters, all for the goal of building a new engine for high-quality development with national influence,” said Xu Qingping.

However, challenges are also frankly acknowledged by Wu Minghao, director of the Huadu District Productivity Promotion Center, "In 2023, the core industries of the digital economy accounted for only 3.9% of Huadu's GDP, which is lower than the average of the whole city. ” But his emphasis is on the breakthrough progress: "In 2024, the proportion of the core industries of our digital economy in GDP increased and ranked the sixth in the city, and this year we have set our eyes on a place among the first echelon!" Wu Minghao pointed out that relying on a deep industrial foundation, Huadu District was walking on the road of integration and innovation of the digital economy and the real economy. A telling achievement in this regard is the completion and operation of a new industrialized digital service platform in Huadu District. Enterprises can rent at low prices the functional modules selected by themselves; this is a transformation from the traditional post-subsidy work into a new digital "community canteen" model in which "the government takes the lead in building the structure, and the enterprises rent it to promote transformation", which truly lowers the threshold of digitalization and application of artificial intelligence for enterprises. "The platform has now 35 AI and SAAS applications available for use, more than 300 registered enterprises, and more than 1,200 enterprises in contact, and the number of registrations is expected to exceed 5,000 this year. It is really confidence booster for enterprises."

Endowed with the advantages of air and rail dual hub, Huadu is using the national platform as a springboard to accelerate the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy. Huadu in the future will not only be a highland for industrial agglomeration, but also a fertile ground for innovation that will grab global attention. It will inject strong momentum into the high-quality development of the GHM Greater Bay Area.