Hunan pushes forward embodied AI industry as business forum opens

(China Daily) The 12th Global Forum for Hunan Entrepreneurs kicked off on Wednesday in Hengyang, Hunan province, bringing together business leaders, representatives from chambers of commerce, and scholars from home and abroad.  

At a parallel forum on intelligent robotics, a new platform for the embodied AI industry was launched at the Range Intelligent Industrial Park. According to Liu Ping, vice-mayor of Hengyang, the platform is dedicated to connecting companies, providing technical parameters, and aligning supply and demand for core components in the industry.

Liu highlighted that the industrial park boasts a total investment of 1.5 billion yuan ($223 million) and covers an area of 140,000 square meters. It aims to serve as a centralized hub for core components in embodied intelligent robotics, integrating research and development, pilot testing, manufacturing, product display, and talent housing.  

"Artificial intelligence is transitioning rapidly from the digital realm to physical reality," said Zhou Chaonan, chairman of Range Intelligent Computing Technology Group. Zhou emphasized that Hunan's robust manufacturing base, including industrial clusters in engineering machinery, rail transit, and ultra-high-voltage power transmission, provides a strong foundation for emerging industries such as AI and intelligent agents.

In recent years, the Hengyang government has prioritized the embodied AI industry as a key component of its modern industrial system. The city now hosts over 80 companies specializing in embodied AI components, generating 7.53 billion yuan in revenue from January to August this year, marking a 10.5 percent increase year-on-year.  

Hengyang's efforts are part of Hunan's broader strategy to advance intelligent robotics. In August, the province issued guidelines to accelerate the industry's development, with goals to exceed 100 billion yuan in sector revenue by 2028 and 200 billion yuan by 2030. Currently, the province's intelligent robotics industry is valued at nearly 50 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of more than 30 percent over the past three years.

Source: By Li Muyun and He Chun in Changsha | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2026-09-24 17:23